by Stephen Lendman

Try imagining one dollar for each time Western officials and presstitute media scoundrels screamed "Russian aggression" daily since US planned, directed and implemented Kiev aggression on Donbas began last April.

Easily enough for round-trip first class travel from any point of departure to any destination several times over.

Plus ground transportation, 5-star hotel accommodations, first-class meals, miscellaneous expenses, with enough left for souvenir trip remembrances.

Big Lies have a life of their own. Circulate worldwide with electronic ease. Printed multiple times daily in Western publications.

Russian aggression, Russian hoards, Russian threats, big bad Russian bear comments infest so-called Western journalism like crabgrass besets lawns.

Big Lies repeated enough get most people to believe them. Especially when hard truth narratives are suppressed.

Western propaganda blasts the Big Lies to global viewers, listeners and readers worldwide. Truth is their mortal enemy.

A daily drumbeat of managed news misinformation rubbish drowns out real information and analysis mattering most.

Promotes confrontation with Russia. Risks the unthinkable. Propaganda wars precede hot ones. Blaming victims for perpetrator crimes.

Justifying the unjustifiable. Heading things inexorably toward war with Russia. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond lied saying:

"This man (Putin) has sent troops across an international border and occupied another country's territory in the 21st century acting like some kind of 20th century tyrant."

John Kerry said Western countries are united against "the largest threat that Ukraine faces today, and that is Russia's continued aggression in the east."

"There is no other way to call it…The president is reviewing all of his options. (Including) obviously…providing" Ukraine with greater amounts of heavy weapons than already called "defensive" ones.

Every time Obama, Kerry and other US officials claim America seeks no confrontation with Russia, polar opposite plans are intended.

US policy is consistently hostile. Western dominated Munich Security Conference addresses and discussions were intensely anti-Russian.

At times barely stopping short of urging war. Washington's rage to fight heads inexorably in this direction.

Using Kiev as a dagger targeting Russia. Illegitimate oligarch US-installed stooge president Poroshenko finds new ways to embarrass himself.

Theater substitutes for substance. In Munich, he displayed fake passports. The kind any disreputable printer can produce on request.

Poroshenko claimed they belonged to Russian soldiers aiding Donbas rebels. Russia's military prohibits active duty soldiers from carrying passports.

Poroshenko was caught in one of his many Big Lies. It's hard keeping track of how many. His so-called proof of Russian involvement doesn't exist.

His Munich address was beginning-to-end deception. "Our neighbor has breached international law and annexed a part of our territory," he claimed.

False! No evidence shows Russian violations. No annexation of Ukrainian territory occurred.

Crimeans voted near unanimously to join Russia. Putin accommodated them to reverse a historic error.

"Today, a formerly strategic partner is waging a hybrid war against a sovereign state," said Poroshenko.

False! No evidence whatever supports his Big Lie. Plenty shows blatant Kiev aggression against Donbas.

Targeting hospitals, schools, residential areas, city streets. Murdering civilians in cold blood. Committing atrocities. Using banned weapons.

Not a single MSM report explains what's vital to know. Nor a single Western official.

Instead, Poroshenko's Big Lies about Ukraine's border areas "swarming with Russian tanks, armed personnel carriers, artillery, multiple rocket-launchers and ammunition" are accepted as gospel.

Despite no evidence proving his claims. Or similar ones from Western capitals or Munich discussions.

Poroshenko Big Lies sound like bad fiction. Nonexistent Russian "aggression has opened a Pandora's Box for the international security," he claimed.

He irresponsibly blamed Moscow for one Kiev high crime after another. Talking peace while waging naked aggression against his own citizens.

"We must defend our land," he says. Growing numbers of Ukrainians want it defended against fascist thugs in charge.

Poroshenko's so-called peace plan is escalated dirty war without mercy. So-called "concrete steps" he supports risk embroiling the entire continent in conflict.

His "diplomatic solution" is naked aggression. His notion of "stop(ping) bloodshed" is shedding more.

His claim about "restoration of peace (as his) ultimate goal" is polar opposite his policy. Ukraine needs "greater…military support," he said.

More weapons, heavier ones, for escalated war, greater bloodshed, naked aggression taken to a higher level.

His notion of "ceasefire" is none at all. How many Donbas civilians died while he spoke?

How much more mass slaughter and destruction does he have in mind? How many more Big Lies will he tell justifying it?

Russia's Foreign Ministry said Kerry and Lavrov met in Munich. "(D)iscussed a wide range of issues related to Russian-US relations."

"Lavrov stressed that building up confrontation with an aim to put pressure on Russia with sanctions was futureless."

"We are not going to give up our national interests and fundamental stance on the key issues," he stressed.

"At the same time, the Russian side is ready for constructive interaction with the United States both in the sphere of bilateral relations and in the international arena where our countries bear special responsibility for global stability."

Impossible because Washington wants war, not peace. Confrontation, not diplomatic resolution.

Kerry rhetorically supports resolving Ukrainian crisis conditions responsibly. US policies are polar opposite.

Munich Security Conference (MSC) chairman Wolfgang Ischinger's closing remarks claimed addresses and discussions "offer(ed) a platform for more intense and more balanced (ones) than in other places."

He ignored three days of intense, one-sided, irresponsible Russia bashing. This year's MSC was a platform for proliferating hate-mongering Big Lies.

Heading things dangerously toward East/West confrontation. Perhaps it's a major US-instigated false flag away.

Expect failed Moscow peace talks to be blamed on Putin. Discussions continued by phone on Sunday.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "(w)ork will continue and its preliminary results will be summed up next Sunday during a summit-level telephone conversation to be held in the 'Normandy format.' "

The procedure established last June when Russian, French, German and Ukrainian presidents met on the sidelines of the 70th anniversary of allied forces landing in Normandy, France.

The beginning of Europe's liberation. Suffering since under the yoke of US dominance. More than ever now.

Peskov said "a possible joint document on implementation of the Minsks agreements is being" prepared. It'll include German, French, Russian and Ukrainian proposals.

Specifics aren't known. Other than French media quoting Hollande saying "quite strong" Donbas autonomy was proposed.

As well as a 50 - 70 km demilitarized zone on each side of the current front line. The devil is in the details.

Donetsk and Lugansk are self-declared republics. Free from fascist rule. Democratically governed.

Not about to relinquish hard-won gains. Nor should they. So far, it appears they were consulted on Moscow's proposals.

How is peace possible with one side excluded from discussions? Most important are Washington's intentions. Obama didn't wage proxy war on Donbas to quit.

At this time, chances for meaningful peace look virtually nil. Whatever is agreed on, if anything, means nothing if Obama doesn't call off his dogs.

Plans are to escalate conflict, not end it. Washington intends sending more heavy weapons than already.

Increasing numbers of US-led NATO forces encroach near Russia's borders. Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced new "spearhead force" plans.

To make NATO "forces more ready and more responsive…(S)trengthen our existing NATO Response Force…(T)o be deployed in a matter of days" if needed.

In six Eastern so-called front line states bordering Russia or close to it. Deliberately provoking Moscow to respond. Risking open confrontation.

Apparently what Washington wants. How Putin reacts remains to be seen. His red line isn't clear.

He's likely only to tolerate so much before acting. The fullness of time will explain more than what's already known.

Putin, Merkel, Hollande and Poroshenko plan meeting on February 11 in Minisk. Continuing what they began in Moscow.

Working on measures all sides can accept. It bears repeating. Chances for success are virtually nil.

As long as Washington wants war, peace is pure fantasy. Expect escalated war, not conflict resolution.

No matter what document follow's Minsk's meeting. It's effectiveness depends on the will of its signatories.

A previous article discussed Obama wanting congressional authorization for unlimited war. IS is the pretext.

Syria, Donbas and Russia the targets. Regime change the objectives. Will Washington risk global war?

Will madness overcome reason? Will European nations keep supporting what may destroy them? Can WW III be stopped?

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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