Ukrainian artillery is pounding the major eastern city of Donetsk, with warplanes looming overhead and tanks rolling closer to the city, one of the latest rebel-held stronghold.
Traffic jams were reported heading out of Donetsk to the south and east, into neighboring Russia, and the Russian government has reported a major spike in refugees over the past few days.
The attacks are shaping up to the be waning days of a war of secession in the east, with the US-backed government close to crushing the secessionists. President Poroshenko continued to downplay the civilian tragedy of the war, while insisting the war isn’t an “internal conflict” at all, but a battle against “mercenaries.”
Casting a wide shadow over the war is Russia, which has warned Ukraine against using military force against the ethnic Russian easterners. The US has praised Ukraine for the attacks, and accuses Russia of interfering in Ukraine’s internal affairs by calling for a ceasefire.
Note how Washington has adopted the terminology of a totalitarian state. Like the old Soviet Union, anyone who criticizes the war crimes and crimes against humanity of the US or one of it's vassal states is "interfering in it's internal affairs."
As anyone who has ever studied the history of civil wars and other "internal conflicts" understands, the government may be able to put down an active uprising and bring relative quiet to the population but they will never erase the reasons for the rebellion in the first place. And in a society where armaments of all sorts are spread throughout the population the government will continue to be plagued by insurgents. Ask the Irish about that…
So Poroshenko may eventually end the fighting and kill or imprison the leaders of the separatists but he should never assume that everyone around him loves him and will protect him when needed.
Ethnic cleansing used to be a bad thing in absolute terms, but as with everything in politics, when it's done by those we like, and/or against those we dislike (for whatever reasons), it's just fine and dandy.
The last time there was "internal conflict" abroad, cries of "genocide" and "viaga-powered rape" arose. Bombing of Lybia via the sweetened argument of the "no-fly zone" ensued. I guess the internality of the conflict depends on who is playing.
Anyway, this may yet become politicially awkward. A hard loss for the Russian side with no compromise in sight sure is not going to result in a successful "reset" of relationships.
All of this is advantageous for US internal politics. It is also advantageous towards controlling the energy feeds into Europe, nipping the BRICS danger in the bud, embiggening NATO and cutting trade towards the east but sure is not advantageous for Europe itself.
The Council of Europe apparently is of the impression that Iran-style sanctions make sense in this situation. Hello? FT says that 'The health warning that needs to be attached to this plan, however, is that the likelihood of it being actually adopted remains slim.' Yeah, I guess the phones are ringing at the ministries. Do continental europeans still think that USA and its nasty chiwauwau the UK are "friends" who come with good advice that must be heeded? History shows what happens to "friends" of the USA. Carry on, little red riding hood.