by Stephen Lendman

French newspaper Le Point says NATO wants war with Russia. NATO means America. It dominates Alliance policy. Le Point cited the following provocations:

● Eastern European Alliance expansion;

● encroaching menacingly on Russia's borders;

● encirclement with US bases; and

● using Ukraine as a pretext for confrontation.

Sputnik News (SN) discussed what demands worldwide reporting. Citing Le Point, it headlined "NATO Pushes for War by Encircling Russia."

Getting involved in Ukraine is a way to justify its existence, said SN. US-dominated NATO needs enemies to warrant spending hundreds of billions of dollars for offense, not defense.

Ukraine's conflict is important for NATO. "If (it) get(s) involved…and has a military confrontation with Russia, (it) will find irself back in action and subsequently more funds will flow into (its) budget," said SN.

According to Le Point columnist Pierre Beylau:

"NATO leaders regularly 'wave a red flag' (at Russia), sticking out their chest and throwing inflammatory comments. They would have done a big favor to the world if they kept quiet."

In 1989, GHW Bush promised Mikhail Gorbachev NATO wouldn't expand East. It wouldn't encroach on Russia's borders provided Moscow let its former republics become independent.

Another promise made. Another broken. Former Russian republics Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are NATO members.

Other Eastern European ones include Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovenia.

Washington wants all remaining Eastern European nations co-opted. It wants them part of NATO.

US bases menacingly encircle Russian and Chinese borders. So-called missile defense systems intended for offense target their heartlands.

Neither country threatens America. Positioning strategic weapons near their borders shows Washington's real intent - regime change by any means necessary including war.

"…Russia's only buffer zones (protection against) a complete NATO encirclement on its western border are Finland, Belarus and Ukraine," said SN.

Plans to make Georgia and Ukraine Alliance members crosses a red line, according to Le Point. So should headlines like Stop NATO saying "US Infantry Division Deploys (to Europe) for Anti-Russian Mission."

US Army Europe reported Fort Carson, CO's combat ready 4th Infantry Division deployed in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve (OAR).

Pentagon officials call it part of America's "continued commitment to collective security through a series of actions designed to reassure NATO allies and partners of (its) dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region, in light of the Russian intervention in Ukraine."

Honest observers call it another example of Washington heading inexorably toward direct confrontation with Russia.

No nation threatens world peace and stability more than America. Outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel lied saying:

"Without deep engagement in the world, America would face more conflict, not less - and on the terms of our adversaries, not on our own terms."

"That is why America's commitment to its allies - in Europe and around the world - is not a burden…It's not a luxury. But it is a necessity. And it must be unwavering."

Washington intends escalated conflict in Ukraine, not peace. Minsk reflects a pause in fighting, not cessation.

Things remain tense. On Sunday, Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Defense Ministry spokesman Eduard Basurin said DPR forces "completely halted military operations along the entire contact line at 00:00 (hours) Kiev time" as stipulated by Minsk.

Overnight into Monday morning, "mortar and gun fire by separate groups of Ukrainian forces were observed."

DPR forces largely refrained from responding. "In some cases, our soldiers had to return targeted fire to stop these provocations," said Basurin.

Conditions around Debaltsevo remain tense. "Blocked Ukrainian troops do not cease attempts to come out from encirclement," Basurin explaianed.

Fighting continues. Overnight, Kiev forces fired mortars on Donetsk six times - 18 times on its outskirts.

Rebels conducted "localized defensive battles" near Mariupol. Neo-Nazi Azov battalion's attack on Shirokhino and Kominternovo was rebuffed.

"We are calling on Kiev to closely follow the agreement to halt fire," said Basurin.

"On our part, we confirm our strict adherence to the agreement on the entire territory of DPR."

At the same time, Donbass self-defense forces maintain the right to respond to Kiev military provocations.

Basurin said "over the last 24 hours," Ukrainian forces lost 9 tanks, 12 armored personnel carriers, 16 artillery systems, and 7 vehicles.

Personnel losses include 111 killed based on intelligence from radio intercepts.

Since launching renewed aggression four weeks ago, Kiev lost 3 aircraft, one helicopter, 205 tanks, 182 armored personnel carriers, 124 vehicles, 2,760 killed, and 60 taken as prisoners.

Basurin said Kiev "is preparing (new) provocations (on) DPR."

"A large number of (regime controlled journalists) were spotted in some settlements."

"We think they want to record something that we didn't do. We know they are planning to do this, and we will be prepared."

Partial ceasefire with no peace continues post-Minsk. It's just a matter of time before Kiev's "party of war" escalates fighting.

They're mobilizing, rearming, redeploying, and regrouping for the next round of conflict.

US combat troops in Ukraine are directly involved in helping them. Training, arming and funding Kiev's most extremist units.

It's just a matter of time before they're unleashed full-force together with regular Kiev troops, mercenaries like Blackwater USA (now Academi), and perhaps US forces directly this time.

On February 16, Tass headlined "Donetsk republic claims Kiev pulls in heavy weaponry as provocation."

Basurin called it a move to provoke DPR forces to respond.

"The Armed Forces of Ukraine have secretly pulled in heavy weaponry - Grads and Uragans - to the villages of Artemovsk and Luganskoye and others," he said.

He believes they plan firing on Donetsk to provoke a response so Kiev and Western journalists can accuse rebels of violating Minsk.

Obama wants Donbas freedom fighters crushed. He wants democracy prevented at all costs. He wants unchallenged fascist rule nationwide.

He wants Ukraine used to provoke direct confrontation with Russia. Will nuclear war follow?

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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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