by Stephen Lendman

Ukraine is a US-installed fascist dictatorship waging war on its own people. Russia is a democratic country promoting world peace and stability.

In May 2014, former US Assistant Defense Secretary/Deputy NATO Secretary-General (its de facto boss) Alexander Vershbow declared Russia a Western enemy, saying:

US-dominated NATO “view(s) Russia…as more of an adversary than a partner.” The Alliance will “defend the sovereignty and freedom of choice of Russia’s neighbors.”Vershbow lied claiming Moscow “tri(es) to reimpose hegemony and limit (the) sovereignty (of neighboring states) under the guise of a defense of the Russian world.”

Relations between Washington and Moscow went progressively downhill from there - US officials and Western media turning truth on its head, accusing Russia of “aggression” in Ukraine, and most recently military involvement in Syria.

Verifiable proof supporting accusations never follow. None exists. Last week, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) approved a new military strategy - intending greater troop strength, ending the nation’s nonaligned status, and setting a course for NATO membership, Poroshenko saying:

“We are definitely going to increase the number of contracted troops and I have already given relevant instructions to the leadership of the Defense Ministry and the General Staff. I think that this is the strategic direction of formation of the Ukrainian Army.”

“First of all, we are talking about units that will serve in high-risk areas near the border, and will require special technical knowledge and expensive training.”

Military conscription will continue to counter a nonexistent Russian threat. "Unfortunately, the military threat from the East is an obvious perspective for dozens of years to come,” Poroshenko blustered. “Each new generation must have experience in the army. It can only be obtained by passing rigorous military school” training.

He expects Ukraine’s military to reach NATO standards by 2020 - to “meet the aggressor,” claiming a “high probability” of foreign military involvement in Donbass - despite none by Russia or intent to initiate it.

He said the new strategy “fundamentally changes the character of the armed struggle…(I)t is what we call hybrid warfare” - combining conventional and unconventional tactics.

In early June, he lied claiming about 9,000 Russian troops in Ukraine. Weeks later he said 50,000. Now it’s 200,000. No one spotted them because they don’t exist.

The NSDC document turned truth on its head claiming Russian “involve(ment) in financial support of terrorists and other criminal activities, as well as in the violation of the international law, having supported the annexation of the Ukrainian territory…”

“The new military doctrine of Ukraine determines the Russian Federation as the country's military adversary and defines conditions for the liberation of temporary occupied territories of Ukraine.”

In other words, endless war while declaring support for peace - with full US support and encouragement.

Washington, Britain, Canada and other Western countries actively aid Kiev’s war machine - a proxy US force, waging naked aggression on Donbass, wanting real democracy in Ukraine’s Southeast crushed, replaced by fascist tyranny.

Putin said ending Ukrainian crisis conditions “does not depend on us. This depends on (Kiev) and the Ukrainian people - on how long (they’ll) put up with this bacchanalia.”

They have good reason for rage. Putin said they’re under “foreign management.” On the one hand, as a virtual US colony.

On the other, “all key positions in the government and now in regional administrations are now occupied by foreigners,” Putin explained. “Is it possible that Ukraine is lacking civilized and honest people and qualified managers? I think there are such people in this country.”

He expects eventual positive change, reversing enormous damage inflicted on the nation and its people. Last year, Russian lower house State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee head, Aleksey Pushkov, said putting Ukraine under foreign management shows it’s a failed state.

It’s a fascist malignancy in Europe’s heartland, a dysfunctional state teetering on bankruptcy, an aggressor waging war on its own people with borrowed money it can’t afford to spend.

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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.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.