Crisis in Ukraine

AntiGanda

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Kiev Regime Conscripts Children in Foreign Countries for Military Service in Ukraine

The Kiev regime is desperate. It is involved in conscripting Ukrainian children adopted or fostered by parents in foreign countries. These children are now being drafted.

Here is an article on this, roughly translated from a newspaper, El Heraldo, in the Aragon region of Spain:

http://www.heraldo.es/noticias/arag...os_aragon_para_militarizarlos_340568_300.html

“The Ukrainian government demands the return of youths in foster care in Aragon to join the military”

Efe. Huesca | Updated 18/2/2015 at 15:59

The goal is that after a period of instruction, they’re introduced into the conflict zone.

Young Ukrainians, who are in foster families in Aragon, are being claimed by the Government of Ukraine to return to their country to be introduced into the conflict zone, according to the president of the Association of Child Welfare of Aragon, Eduardo Puente. The purpose of this call-up is to perform military service in Ukraine. After a month of military training, they’re sent into the war zone, say Eduardo Puente, and Angelines, the latter being the foster mother of Tola, a youth who has been called from Ukraine to join the army soon. Puente explained that his association, which coordinates a program of Ukrainian children who are welcomed in Aragonese families during summers and the holidays, knows five cases in the community, where young people are in this difficult situation, but is convinced that “many more” exist.

A normal case

A typical case is this of Tola, a young Ukrainian 18 years old who studied with an Aragonese host family for six years and whose biological parents informed him by phone a few weeks ago from Ukraine after receiving a letter ordering him to join the war.

Angelines, who is the foster mother of Tola, moved immediately to try to prevent his return to Ukraine. According to her, the Foreign Ministry welcomed to Spanish forces young Ukrainians studying in Spain, so that they will return to their country of origin during holiday periods. This woman has made the young man welcomed by the Spanish Police to become a figure of international protection which is renewed every six months and allowed to continue in Spain without returning to Ukraine on vacation, but considers this protection “insufficient.” Angelines, the biological mother of two children, ensures that nothing be communicated to him of his military call-up being passed along to him from his parents, because Tola was “very nervous” the moment he first heard of the call-up to return to his village, where, he says, many people his age have already died because of the conflict. The woman does not want Tola to return to Ukraine to perish in the conflict, and has appealed to the Spanish state to be granted Spanish nationality.

He has stated that he knows the case of another young Ukrainian hosted in Aragon, J., 16 years old, afraid of being called also to return to his country once he reaches draft age. As he explained, she and the foster mother of J. are trying to get him Spanish nationality to avoid all these problems. Tola began to be hosted at holiday periods by Angelines when age 9 and J. at 8 with another family, also Aragonese. The situation of conflict made the two families take turns to go on holiday to Ukraine and to rent an apartment to get the lowest J., did not have to spend the summer at the orphanage and live situations danger. Their adoption has not been possible confesses Angelines because the Ukrainian authorities do not provide the paperwork to make or care about the plight of children living in orphanages. Now, Angelines sees everyday news with Tola and reads daily to learn of the situation in Ukraine, although convinced that much of the violence that occurs in the country is not known abroad. She ensures that Tola feels Spanish and that trips made to Ukraine are only to see his biological family, never with the intention of staying more than a short period of time. According Angelines, Tola is a good student, perfectly integrated with their peers, but J., due to his more complicated origin, has difficulties with his studies and needs further support.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/kiev-r...tries-for-military-service-in-ukraine/5432696
 

Nanfeishen

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China to credit Ukraine for $3.6 bln to reduce dependence on Russian gas

Is this just an extension or a continuation of the same deal made between Ukraine and China in Dec 2013 ?

In the energy area an agreement between the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine and the Chinese National Company Wuhuan Engineering Co. Ltd., providing for the construction of the factory, producing synthetic gas. This project will allow Ukraine to create about 2.000 new workplaces in the factory itself and approximately 100 thousand more at coal-mining factories.
Note the Chinese get the building contract

In the financial field China will provide the National Bank of Ukraine with the export loan in the yuans in the equivalent of 5 billion dollars (€3.6 billion) with the possible expansion to use the possibility of the currency “swap” in the bilateral foreign payments. Besides, the People’s Bank of the People’s Republic of China will purchase the Ukrainian external loan bonds, which will enable to secure an additional inflow of foreign exchange into the country.
Buying up Ukraine's external loan bonds , will put them in China's pocket

http://www.euractiv.com/europes-east/ukraine-opens-new-era-relations-analysis-532288
 

Unhappy438

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Ukraine strengthens currency controls as hryvnia plunges

Ukraine's central bank said on Monday it would tighten currency controls on importers, its latest move to defend the hryvnia, which plunged by another 10 percent on further signs that a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is crumbling.

The hryvnia lost nearly 50 percent of its value against the dollar last year due to political upheaval and the conflict with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, and has weakened over 40 percent more in 2015 after the central bank moved closer to letting the currency float freely.

The market has also been spooked by signs a ceasefire deal to end Ukraine's separatist conflict could fall apart.

"We will not allow the situation to get out of control," the head of the central bank, Valeriia Gontareva, said at a press briefing at which she stressed there were no fundamental reasons for further hryvnia weakness.

Under the new measures, which will come into effect on Wednesday, the bank would control all prepayments for importers' contracts over $50,000 and any importer with a contract over $500,000 would need to have a letter of credit with a top-rated foreign bank, she said.

Banks will also be prohibited from lending hryvnia to companies for the purpose of purchasing foreign currency.

The average hryvnia rate weakened by a further 10.3 percent on Monday to 30.51 to the dollar as of 1230 GMT, hitting a fresh record low, as Ukraine's military accused rebels of further attacks in violation of the ceasefire deal.

A trader at a large foreign bank in Ukraine said he was seeing market rates at around 31.3-31.8 to the dollar.

"For now the market is weakening and there's no reason to see it stabilising so long as the war rolls on," he said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/23/ukraine-crisis-cenbank-idUSL5N0VX2DD20150223
 

Unhappy438

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Russian Bonds, Ruble Drop After Moody's Cuts Credit Rating to Junk

Russian dollar bonds fell as much 2.5 cents on Monday after Moody's became the second agency to cut their credit rating to junk while Ukrainian debt also fell, hitting new record lows.

Russian markets are shut for a holiday but the ruble fell 3.4 percent against the dollar on international markets to a one-week low.

Moody's downgraded Russia to Ba1 from Baa3 late on Friday, citing the impact from the Ukraine crisis as well as the steep fall in oil prices and the ruble. With junk ratings from two agencies, Russia risks an acceleration in outflows from more conservative asset managers.

"The fundamental picture is still complicated, and I don't see any improvement. What I see is increasing tensions with the West, so while the Moody's story was well anticipated it just adds to the overall negative backdrop," said Regis Chatellier, credit strategist at Societe Generale.

The 2030 dollar bond fell 1.1 cent in price to 106.5, a one-week low. The 2043 issue fell 2.5 cents. All other bonds also shed about a cent while Russia's yield spreads over Treasuries widened 9 basis points to 524 bps.

Ukrainian dollar bonds traded about 40-42 cents in the dollar on fears an upcoming restructuring would inflict big losses on bondholders.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/busin...oody-s-cuts-credit-rating-to-junk/516349.html
 

Xarog

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Ex-Plunge Protection Team Whistleblower: "Governments Control Markets; There Is No Price Discovery Anymore"
One year after the great stock market crash in 1987, US President Ronald Reagan launched the "Working Group on Financial Markets." Conspiracy theorists believe, however, that the real task of this committee is to protect against a renewed slump in the stock market. In the jargon of Wall Street, the working group is known as the "Plunge Protection Team."

One glimpse at a few days suring 2007/8 and it is clear that 'someone' with infinitely deep pockets was able to support markets on several critical days - though, of course, anyone proclaiming intervention was propagandized away as a conspiracy theory wonk. However, as Dr. Pippa Malmgren - a former member of the U.S. President’s Working Group on Financial Markets - it is not conspiracy theory, it is conspiracy fact: "there's no price discovery anymore by the market... governments impose prices on the market."

* * *

In this 38 minute interview Lars Schall, for Matterhorn Asset Management, speaks with Dr Pippa Malmgren, a US financial advisor and policy expert based in London. Dr Malmgren has been a member of the U.S. President’s Working Group on Financial Markets (a.k.a. the “Plunge Protection Team”). They address, inter alia:

Malmgren’s recent book “Signals: the breakdown of the social contract and the rise of geopolitics”;
the “inflation vs deflation” debate
the closer ties between Russia and China
the future of the Euro
Germany’s gold reserves
and the phenomenon of “financial repression”
Moreover, Dr Malmgren explains what she foresees as the endgame of the financial crisis.

Full interview:[video=youtube;mEGzfxHcbMA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mEGzfxHcbMA[/video]



Source: GoldSwitzerland.com

* * *

Still don't believe?

Here is Scott Nations in 2008 getting "Schiff'd" by the CNBC anchors (Liesman) and some other guest muppet when he dares to suggest the Fed is intervening and that the President's Working Group (i.e. Plunge Protection Team) is hard at work...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=X06kz9dzXho

"look at the market action on the 10th and 28th and tell me what else might have generated a 100 point rally in the S&P under that situation?" Liesman fobs him off as some conspiracy wonk...

Yep looks normal to us... 10/10/2008
20141028_PPT_0.jpg



and 10/28/2008
20141028_PPT1_0.jpg



Those are 100 point moves on a 700/800 S&P!! Nothing to see here eh Liesman, Kiernan, Quick?

* * *

And of course there's last October's Bullared bounce... the longest most consistent trend higher in stocks ever.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-...-governments-control-markets-there-no-price-d
And people wonder why I read zerohedge. 1st video is well worth the watch.

Ten Banks, Including JPM, Goldman, Deutsche, Barclays, SocGen And UBS, Probed For Gold Rigging
No matter how many times the big banks are caught red-handed manipulating precious metals, some failed former Deutsche Bank prop-trader (you know who you are) will take a vociferous stand based on ad hominem attacks and zero facts that no, what you see in front of you is not precious metal rigging at all but a one-off event that has nothing to do with a criminal banking syndicate hell bent on taking advantage of anyone who is naive and dumb enough to still believe in fair and efficient markets.

The last time this happened was in November when we learned that "UBS Settles Over Gold Rigging, Many More Banks To Follow", and sure enough many more banks did follow, because in Europe, where the stench of gold market manipulation stretches far beyond merely commercial banks, and rises through the central banks, namely the BOE and ECB, culminating with the Head of Foreign Exchange & Gold at the BIS itself, all such allegations have to be promptly settled or else the discovery that the manipulation cartel in Europe involves absolutely everybody will shock and stun the world, which heretofore was led to believe that such things as gold market (not to be confused with Libor or FX) manipulation only exist in the paranoid delusions of a few tinfoil fringe-blogging lunatics.

However, as usually happens, someone always fails to read the memo that when it comes to gold-market manipulation one must i) find nothing at all incriminating if one is a paid spokesman for the entities doing the manipulation such as former CFTC-sellout Bart Chilton or ii) if one can't cover it, then one must settle immediately or else the chain of revelations will implication everyone.

This time, that someone is the US Department of Justice, which as the WSJ just reported, is investigating at least 10 major banks for possible rigging of precious-metals markets. The DOJ is shockingly doing so "even though European regulators dropped a similar probe after finding no evidence of wrongdoing, according to people close to the inquiries." Of course, the reason why said probe was dropped in Europe is because it would have implicated virtually the entire trading desk at the biggest and most important European bank: Deustche Bank, as well as the biggest bank in Switzerland, UBS and UK's own Barclays, reveal a manipulation cartel rivaling even that of Libor. And once traders at the commercial banks turned sides and squealed for the prosection, well then it would be the central banks' turn next. Which is why it was imperative to bring this investigation to a quiet end.

But not in the US.

According to the WSJ, "prosecutors in the Justice Department’s antitrust division are scrutinizing the price-setting process for gold, silver, platinum and palladium in London, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has opened a civil investigation, these people said. The agencies have made initial requests for information, including a subpoena from the CFTC to HSBC Holdings PLC related to precious-metals trading, the bank said in its annual report Monday.

HSBC also said the Justice Department sought documents related to the antitrust investigation in November. The two probes “are at an early stage,” the bank added, saying it is cooperating with U.S. regulators.

Who is involved in this latest gold-rigging scandal? Why everyone! ... which makes it immediately obvious why the European regulator had to promptly cover up the whole affair. Under scrutiny are Bank of Nova Scotia , Barclays PLC, Credit Suisse Group AG , Deutsche Bank AG , Goldman Sachs Group Inc., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Société Générale SA, Standard Bank Group Ltd. and UBS AG , according to one of the people close to the investigation.

Robert Hockett, a law professor at Cornell University, said it is “not particularly surprising” that the Justice Department is plowing ahead despite the decision by European regulators. Recent scrutiny of big banks’ operations in the physical commodities markets and criticism of the Justice Department’s financial-crisis track record make it “quite understandable” that the agency would investigate allegations of precious metals price-rigging.



Last year, the FCA fined Barclays £26 million ($40.2 million) for lax controls after one of its traders allegedly manipulated the gold fix at the expense of a client.



Swiss regulator Finma settled last year allegations of foreign-currency manipulation with UBS. The regulator said it found “serious misconduct” among precious-metals traders at UBS, including “front running,” or trading ahead of, the silver-fix orders of one client. A spokeswoman for UBS, which said at the time that it “instituted significant cultural and compliance changes,” declined further comment.

You mean to say that the banks that were for decades rigging Libor... and FX... and bonds... and stocks... oh, and gold, were let go with a slap on the wrist and a promise to "change their ways" and not to do it again? Yup, that's exactly right.

So what happens next? Well, we finally will find just how much of a banker-controlled muppet the so-called US attorney general truly is. Recall that a week ago he gave his subordinates 90 days to being cases against individuals for their role in the financial crisis.

Well here is the perfect opportunity. Should Holder let this latest mass criminal ring go without any incarecration, one can officially stick a fork in the US justice system, which is meant for everyone, but the rule-flouting bankers who can clearly get away with absolutely anything.

As for the rigging in the gold market, rigging which begins with the lowliest prop-traders at Deutsche Bank and involves every single central bank and High Frequency trading outfit and is now a proven fact, we have explained over the years and thousands of times just how to end it all, so instead of wasting readers' time on this topic yet again, here are just two very simple solutions how to fix this one particular market:

all trading in "paper" gold should cease immediately and all contracts be settled in physical for true price discovery

— StockCats (@StockCats) February 24, 2015

audit Fort Knox

— StockCats (@StockCats) February 24, 2015

So simple, even the most corrupt US Attorney General caveman can do it.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-...e-barclays-socgen-and-ubs-probed-gold-rigging
Just remember who the biggest buyers of physical gold are at the moment.
 
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Xarog

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Russia suffers a lot with this war. If Ukraine was in Asia things should have been much easier for them but Europe seems to be a different horse alltogether.
The downgrade is mostly PR. Russia could not borrow money from Western markets even if it wanted to right now. And if they were really in need of a loan their first choice would almost certainly be China right now. And China's rates would not depend on any of the Western ratings agencies in any case.
 

Xarog

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Putin: France, Germany genuinely want to find compromise over E. Ukraine
The leaders of France and Germany genuinely want to find a compromise that would help end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his latest interview.

Speaking to Rossiya 1 TV channel on the conflict and the breakthrough of the Minsk agreement, Putin said that “it seemed to me [the leaders of France and Germany], have a genuine desire to find such compromise solutions that would lead to the final settlement [of the conflict]...”

He cited the Minsk protocol which includes the decentralization of power in Ukraine and a “reference explaining what it implies.” The authors of the reference are "our German and French partners,” he said, adding that this speaks of their sincerity in finding a compromise.

“I had the impression that our partners have more trust in us than distrust, and in any case believe in our sincerity,” Putin said on Monday.

Putin once again underlined the importance of implementing the Minsk agreement reached on February 12 by the Normandy Four – Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany. “If the Minsk agreement will be implemented, I’m sure the situation will gradually normalize,” he said.

READ MORE: Arms pullback begins in E. Ukraine as OSCE releases footage of devastated Debaltsevo

While answering a question about the possibility of Russia waging war with Ukraine, Putin said that “such an apocalyptic scenario is hardly possible, and I hope this will never happen.”

Putin also dismissed as “complete nonsense” claims made by Poroshenko and the head of the Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), Valentin Nalyvaychenko, that Russia’s presidential aide Vladislav Surkov was involved in tragic events during last year’s protests in Kiev.

Speaking on Crimea, the president urged the international community to respect the region’s choice to rejoin Russia.

“With regard to nationality, the residents of Crimea have made their choice [when they voted to join Russia] and it should be respected. Russia cannot treat it otherwise,” he said.

Commenting on Poroshenko’s statement that Kiev intends to regain Crimea, Putin said that such actions have a “revenge nature.” He stressed that as a large European country, Ukraine should focus on “strengthening the economy and social sector, and mend relations with the southeastern part of the country.”
http://rt.com/news/234831-putin-france-germany-compromise/

Assuming he's correct, France and Germany are likely to have a very dim view of any US/UK measures that would provoke the conflict further. Things could get interesting. :whistling:
 

LazyLion

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OSCE SAYS UKRAINE CEASE-FIRE HAS LOWERED MILITARY EXCHANGES

The head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says the cease-fire in Ukraine has "very significantly" lowered the level of military exchanges between government and separatist forces, but violations are still taking place.

Lamberto Zannier told a group of reporters Monday that there have been a number of violations in the south, and some limited incidents around the town of Debaltseve and around the Donetsk airport, both seized by separatists.

Under a peace agreement, a cease-fire was supposed to begin Feb. 15 followed by a withdrawal of heavy weapons.

Zannier called the agreement "the best chance ... to de-escalate and bring this conflict to an end," but he stressed that "there is work to be done."

The OSCE has observers in Ukraine to monitor the cease-fire.


Source : Sapa-AP /avb
Date : 24 Feb 2015 03:06
 

Xarog

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Interventionism Kills: Post-Coup Ukraine One Year Later
It was one year ago last weekend that a violent coup overthrew the legally elected government of Ukraine. That coup was not only supported by US and EU governments -- much of it was actually planned by them. Looking back at the events that led to the overthrow it is clear that without foreign intervention Ukraine would not be in its current, seemingly hopeless situation.

By the end of 2013, Ukraine’s economy was in ruins. The government was desperate for an economic bailout and then-president Yanukovych first looked west to the US and EU before deciding to accept an offer of help from Russia. Residents of south and east Ukraine, who largely speak Russian and trade extensively with Russia were pleased with the decision. West Ukrainians who identify with Poland and Europe began to protest. Ukraine is a deeply divided country and the president came from the eastern region.

At this point the conflict was just another chapter in Ukraine’s difficult post-Soviet history. There was bound to be some discontent over the decision, but if there had been no foreign intervention in support of the protests you would likely not be reading this column today. The problem may well have solved itself in due time rather than escalated into a full-out civil war. But the interventionists in the US and EU won out again, and their interventionist project has been a disaster.

The protests at the end of 2013 grew more dramatic and violent and soon a steady stream of US and EU politicians were openly participating, as protesters called for the overthrow of the Ukrainian government. Senator John McCain made several visits to Kiev and even addressed the crowd to encourage them.

Imagine if a foreign leader like Putin or Assad came to Washington to encourage protesters to overthrow the Obama Administration!

As we soon found out from a leaked telephone call, the US ambassador in Kiev and Assistant Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, were making detailed plans for a new government in Kiev after the legal government was overthrown with their assistance.

The protests continued to grow but finally on February 20th of last year a European delegation brokered a compromise that included early elections and several other concessions from Yanukovych. It appeared disaster had been averted, but suddenly that night some of the most violent groups, which had been close to the US, carried out the coup and Yanukovych fled the country.

When the east refused to recognize the new government as legitimate and held a referendum to secede from the west, Kiev sent in tanks to force them to submit. Rather than accept the will of those seeking independence from what they viewed as an illegitimate government put in place by foreigners, the Obama administration decided to blame it all on the Russians and began imposing sanctions!

That war launched by Kiev has lasted until the present, with a ceasefire this month brokered by the Germans and French finally offering some hope for an end to the killing. More than 5,000 have been killed and many of those were civilians bombed in their cities by Kiev.

What if John McCain had stayed home and worried about his constituents in Arizona instead of non-constituents 6,000 miles away? What if the other US and EU politicians had done the same? What if Victoria Nuland and US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt had focused on actual diplomacy instead of regime change?

If they had done so, there is a good chance many if not all of those who have been killed in the violence would still be alive today. Interventionism kills.
http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/arc...-coup-ukraine-one-year-later/?author=Ron+Paul
 

Unhappy438

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Russian media learn to love the bomb

Nuclear war is the ultimate, unthinkable catastrophe. But in some sections of the Russian media it is being viewed as a realistic possibility and even something to be embraced.

As the crisis in Ukraine has deepened over recent months and Moscow's relations with the West have become ever more strained, talk of nuclear war has been looming large in the Russian media.

In fact, as liberal journalist Yuriy Saprykin recently noted, it has almost become "commonplace".

Saprykin was struck by how presenters and listeners on independent radio station Ekho Moskvy now speak about nuclear war "more or less in the same way as if they were discussing increases in parking fines".

On other radio stations, the tone of the nuclear debate can be much more alarming.

"Why are you all so afraid of nuclear war? Why are you afraid of nuclear war?" presenter Aleksey Gudoshnikov asked listeners to the pro-Kremlin station Govorit Moskva last month.

He went on to say that people had survived the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, and that these were actually not as destructive as the bombing of Dresden some six months earlier.

"This fear of nuclear war is exaggerated, in my view," the 26-year-old Gudoshnikov concluded.

Radioactive ash
The starting-point of this disturbing trend was the boast made on 16 March last year (the day of the so-called referendum in Crimea) by controversial TV host and media executive Dmitriy Kiselev that Russia had the weapons to turn the United States into "radioactive ash".

In a later interview with the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, Kiselev said he had merely been making a "technical" observation, and that people should not accuse him of "dreaming" of such a thing.

He has returned to the theme of nuclear war on his weekly show on state channel Rossiya 1 on more than one occasion since.

On 8 February, he quoted an extract from Russia's military doctrine setting out the criteria for its use of nuclear weapons.

Kiselev stressed that this could happen not just in response to a nuclear attack on Russia, but against any military aggression that "threatens the very existence" of the Russian state.

He also stressed that the decision to push the nuclear button would be taken personally by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who "enjoys the unconditional support of the Russian people".

Once again, a nuclear attack was presented not as something to be shied away from, but as a necessary measure to preserve the nation.

'Existential threat'
Before the current version of Russia's military doctrine was published at the end of last year, there had been talk that the section on nuclear war would be updated to allow for the use of pre-emptive strikes.

In the event, that section was left unchanged. Writing in the Moscow Times, Kremlin critic and military analyst Aleksandr Golts described it as a "wholly reasonable formulation regarding the use of nuclear weapons".

Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin media regularly talk up the idea that Russia is indeed facing an existential threat, of the sort that could potentially permit a nuclear strike.

TV news is full of stories about Nato's military build-up around Russia's borders, while commentators portray the West as being hell-bent on the country's destruction.

In a talkshow on Gazprom-Media's NTV on 25 January, pro-Putin pundit Sergey Markov said the West was preparing the ground for the "elimination of the Russian people as an entity in world history". A week later, Kiselev was telling viewers of his weekly show that the "very existence of Russia is not part of America's plan".

Contrast with USSR
The matter-of-factness or even levity with which the Russian media now discuss nuclear weapons is new.

The Soviet Union took pride in its nuclear arsenal. But it also viewed the actual use of nuclear weapons with abhorrence. Nuclear war was to be avoided at all costs - witness Khrushchev's climb-down in the Cuban missile crisis.

By contrast, says Saprykin, some are losing their fear of nuclear weapons in today's Russia "where talk of when and how they might be used is a standard subject of public debate".

Nuclear war - at least in the rhetoric heard in parts of the Russian media - is no longer unthinkable.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31557254
 

Unhappy438

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AntiGanda

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UAE to send weapons to Ukraine

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has meanwhile reached an agreement on weapons supplies from the United Arab Emirates. That’s according to a Facebook post by advisor to Ukrainian Interior Minister, Anton Gerashchenko.
UAE Arms_Ikraine.jpg
Ukraine_UAE.jpg
 

Xarog

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With proxy wars mounting and "isolated" Russia ratifying The BRICS Bank this week, we are sure Washington is preparing to double-down on 'costs' (to Europeans) as Reuters reports, Russia has offered Iran its latest Antey-2500 missiles (ironically after a deal to supply less powerful S-300 missiles was dropped under Western pressure in 2010). While the United States and Israel lobbied Russia to block the missile sale, the head of Russian state defense conglomerate, Sergei Chemezov, says, "as far as Iran is concerned, we offered Antey-2500 instead of S-300. They are thinking. No decision has been made yet."



As Reuters reports, last year, Russian foreign arm sales totaled $13 billion... and it appears they are looking for growth in 2015...

Russia has offered Iran its latest Antey-2500 missiles, the head of Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec said on Monday according to media reports, after a deal to supply less powerful S-300 missiles was dropped under Western pressure.



Sergei Chemezov said Tehran was now considering the offer, TASS news agency reported.



Russia scrapped a contract to supply Iran with S-300 surface-to-air missiles under Western pressure in 2010, and Iran later filed a $4-billion international arbitration suit against Russia in Geneva, but the two countries remain allies.



The United States and Israel lobbied Russia to block the missile sale, saying it could be used to shield Iran's nuclear facilities from possible future air strikes.



...



"As far as Iran is concerned, we offered Antey-2500 instead of S-300. They are thinking. No decision has been made yet," Chemezov was quoted as saying.



Rostec includes state-owned arms exporting monopoly Rosoboronexport, which has the sole right to export and import arms in Russia.



...



Chemezov told reporters conflicts in the Middle East had helped boost Russian arm sales, according to TASS.



"I don't conceal it, and everyone understands this, the more conflicts there are, the more they buy off weapon from us. Volumes are continuing to grow despite sanctions. Mainly, it's Latin America and the Middle East," he was quoted as saying.

* * *

The Antey-2500 was developed from the 1980s-generation S-300V system (SA-12A Gladiator and SA-12B Giant). It can engage missiles traveling at 4,500 meters per second, with a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles), according to the company that makes it, Almaz-Antey. The S-300 missiles have a 125-mile range and Russia has stoked tensions with the West by trying to sell them to Syria and other Middle Eastern countries.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-...a-offers-iran-advanced-anti-aircraft-missiles

Seems the UAE isn't happy with whom Russia decides to do business with in the Middle East.
 

Xarog

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This is what happens if the 'West' upsets the one leader keeping the peace with Iran.
I wonder what the West would do if Russia backed Iran in fighting ISIS in Syria with a view towards keeping Assad in power.
 
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