WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

[s7e6e]

Zamolxe: you are either naive or pushing NATO's agenda. Either way, we can see through the lies.

[Gwin Ru]

...

... the real Ghost of Kiev was here:

[Zamolxe]

Posted by s7e6e (here)
Zamolxe: you are either naive or pushing NATO's agenda. Either way, we can see through the lies.

I have and always will criticize NATO when they invade/bomb a sovereign country. Will you ever criticize Russia for doing the same?

That's how you spot a propaganda account.

[Patient]

Posted by Zamolxe (here)

Posted by s7e6e (here)
Zamolxe: you are either naive or pushing NATO's agenda. Either way, we can see through the lies.

I have and always will criticize NATO when they invade/bomb a sovereign country. Will you ever criticize Russia for doing the same?

That's how you spot a propaganda account.

I may be over simplyfying, but a major problem that the Ukranians have is that they are living in a buffer zone and the bullies of the world are constantly manipulating them with false narratives.

When push comes to shove, many people will fight to protect their home.

The confusion from Nato has Ukrainians spinning in circles.

The US took advantage to steal from them while destabilizing the buffer zone causing problems for Russia.

[Zamolxe]

Sorry, but I fail to understand.

Posted by Patient (here)
The US took advantage to steal from them

What exactly did the US steal from them? Again, we can talk for days about the US and its invasions. About how it stole Hawaii, Guam, Texas, etc.
But what did they steal from Ukraine?

Posted by Patient (here)
they are living in a buffer zone and the bullies of the world are constantly manipulating them

How is the US/NATO bullying Ukraine in this case? Have they been threatening them for the past 8 years? Have they annexed parts of their lands? Have they invaded them?
This sounds like false equivalence.

Posted by Patient (here)
The confusion from Nato has Ukrainians spinning in circles.

What confusion, I don't get it.
This invasion actually gives NATO credibility and a reason to exist. As we can see, Ukraine cannot guarantee its integrity without it being part of a defensive alliance. So this all validates NATO and them wishing to be part of it. Because of Russia's actions. Past and present.

This is why countries in Eastern Europe wanted and want to join NATO. Because they all fear Russia. And the events that have been unfolding in the past days only show that their fears were warranted.

If ever those countries will fear NATO crossing their borders and annexing parts of their territories, they will turn to Russia.

[ExomatrixTV]

• 07 (MSM pushed) FAKE NEWS stories coming out of Ukraine:

We’re only three days into Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, and yet the propaganda cogs are whirring fast as lightning, churning out “news”, opinion and content grist for the media mill. In just the last 48 hours dozens of stories, images, narratives and videos have circulated as being taken from the fighting in Ukraine, a huge percentage of which are fake.

Now, some of it could be attributed to misunderstandings, mistaken identity, misattribution…but many and most are likely deliberate deceptions designed to provoke a response. Let’s dive right in.

• 01. “The Ghost of Kiev”

Early Friday morning it was reported that a single Ukrainian plane, a MiG-29, was patrolling the skies above Kiev. The English speaking press called the unnamed pilot “The Ghost of Kiev”, and claimed he had downed 6 Russian jets in air-to-air combat in less than 2 days, making him an official Fighter Ace, and probably one of the fastest to ever earn that title.


The trouble is there is almost no evidence this happened at all. To quote Newsweek:

There is zero evidence the “Ghost of Kyiv” exists”.

Neither side can confirm Russia has lost six planes in total, let alone to one man inside a single day. And a video alleged to be “the Ghost” in combat – shared by the Ukrainian Armed Forces – is confirmed to actually be footage taken from a video game.

Nevertheless, he already has his own Wikipedia page. A testament to how fast a lie can move while the truth is putting its boots on.

• 02. “Russian planes flying over Kiev”

A lot of people have been sharing a short video of Russian planes allegedly flying low over the city of Kiev. The Times used it a still from it in their story “Will sanctions stop a Russian shell?”:



The problem with that is it’s not Kiev, it’s Moscow. And it’s not today, it’s two years ago. It’s footage of what is likely a rehearsal for the 2020 Victory Day Parade flyover.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=JQkO5XsQMag

• 03. “Zelenskiy visiting the troops”

source

Possibly no politician in history has had a PR makeover quite as fast as Vlodomyr Zelenskiy. Last week he was just some guy, this week he’s a war hero, there’s talk of building statues of the man. A (not at all staged) “leaked” phone call had him turning down the US offer of an airlift to safety.

Twitter is dotted with people sharing photos of him in combat fatigues, comparing him favourably to Trump and Trudeau and asking “what other leaders would fight alongside their troops?”

But the problem with that is the photos are all almost a year old, taken when he visited the troops last April:

• 04. “Luhansk power station explosion”

Early on in the confrontation, this video started doing the rounds on social media:

source

The video went viral, receiving 100,000s of views. Hundreds of accounts shared it, even major news networks used it, all claiming it shows a power station in Luhansk exploding after being hit with Russian missiles.
It does not, it’s a chemical plant exploding in Tianjin, China in 2015.

• 05. Video games. again.

This footage, claiming to show Ukrainian ground forces downing Russian aircraft, also went viral recently, even appearing on Spanish television news:


…It’s from the video game ARMA 3.

• 06. “Russian warship go F*** yourself”

This was the first major propaganda narrative following Russia’s advance onto Ukrainian territory. Allegedly leaked audio showed Ukrainian border guards on tiny Snake Island in the black sea communicating with a Russian warship. Upon being told to surrender, the guards say “Russian warship go **** yourself”.

The Western press reported that all 13 of the men were killed, and the Ukrainian government released a statement saying they would all be awarded posthumous honors.

However, while the supposedly fallen heroes were being canonised all over the western world, Russia was reporting that they had not been killed at all, but taken alive and unharmed back to the mainland.

A story both the press and the Ukrainian government have since reluctantly admitted is likely true.

• 07. Syrian drone strikes footage

Another video doing the rounds, and again shared by official Ukrainian accounts, was drone footage supposedly showing the destruction of a column of Russian vehicles.

• It’s actually footage of a Turkish drone strike in Syria from 2020.

Meanwhile, other accounts were sharing footage of combat from Libya or Israeli bombardments of Gaza under the hashtag #StandWithUkraine. Middle East Eye has compiled a list.

It’s somewhat beautiful irony that so many of the clips prompting outrage in Western liberals actually come from wars their governments started.

There we have it, seven stories about the war in Ukraine that are demonstrably fake, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

There’s tons of other fakes out there, not to mention fakes of fakes designed to discredit doubters or just spread chaos.

Ultimately, it’s all a timely reminder that propaganda is at its most potent at times where the news is moving fast and people are feeling emotional.
That is WHY the media whips up fear, anxiety and hatred, because people in that emotional state are less likely to think critically.

It should go without saying that this is equally true for both sides. We shouldn’t blindly accept claims from the Russian side, simply because we know NATO lies. Both sides propagandize, and one-eyed scepticism is only a different kind of bias.

In short, if you see something designed to provoke an emotional reaction, don’t let it. Never get swept along in the narrative, always hold yourself back, keep calm and ask rational questions.

Withhold belief, demand facts. It’s the only way to keep your mind free.
Or, to quote HL Mencken:

Never believe anything you hear, and only half of what you see.”

• source

• Article (Dutch 🇳🇱 + Multi-Language Options). 🦜🦋🌳

[pyrangello]

"Breadbasket Of World" Choked Off By Russian Invasion As Wheat Prices Soar
https://www.zerohedge.com/commoditie...at-prices-soar

Ukraine has earned the nickname "breadbasket of Europe" for its rich dark soil, vast wheat fields, and other farm goods. The Russian invasion has cut off the world from cheap and abundant wheat supplies.

Ukraine and Russia are vital to the global food supply, accounting for more than a quarter of global wheat trade, about a fifth of corn, and 12% of all calories traded globally, according to Bloomberg.

From Me, so China stocked up on so much wheat and grain prior to this action, one has to give thought to that action. ?????

My buddy from sweden always said about revolutions ? "You need 3 things to have a revolution , 1) food to eat, 2) a bed to sleep in and 3) a warm place to take a #2. If you don't have those you have a revolution" Interesting times

[ExomatrixTV]

• The First Casualty Of War Is Truth:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=sfArW6zppYw

[ExomatrixTV]

• This is more believable than MSM Propaganda ...

• source

[ExomatrixTV]

• Western MSM Lying About Almost Everything Happening in Kiev Ukraine:

• source

[Ravenlocke]

From The Grayzone on February 22 2022

Russia recognizes Donbass republics on eve of war w/Russell "Texas" Bentley in Donetsk

Russell "Texas" Bentley is based in Donetsk and has been in Donbass since December 2014 as a soldier in the Novorussian Army in Vostok and XAH Battalions. He will detail the situation on the ground as Russia recognizes the breakaway republics and sends peacekeeping troops to end the grinding conflict with Ukraine.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=9Mfv2M9q8vc

[mizo]

Who would have leaked this?

https://twitter.com/RidT/status/1498692537741025284

[samildamach]

Posted by Patient (here)

Posted by Zamolxe (here)

Posted by s7e6e (here)
Zamolxe: you are either naive or pushing NATO's agenda. Either way, we can see through the lies.

I have and always will criticize NATO when they invade/bomb a sovereign country. Will you ever criticize Russia for doing the same?

That's how you spot a propaganda account.

I may be over simplyfying, but a major problem that the Ukranians have is that they are living in a buffer zone and the bullies of the world are constantly manipulating them with false narratives.

When push comes to shove, many people will fight to protect their home.

The confusion from Nato has Ukrainians spinning in circles.

The US took advantage to steal from them while destabilizing the buffer zone causing problems for Russia.

It used to be a buffer zone between east and west.
unfortunatly NATO wanted to change the border by subterfuge and the russian line was crossed.
My simplified personal opinion

[Eric J (Viking)]

Edgar Cayce, Medjugorje and Fátima: All Prophesied that Russia Will Save Humanity During the End Times

Posted by Alexandra Bruce
Forbidden Knowledge TV

Very few people in the US know what is actually happening in Ukraine right now – and the Fake News is definitely not the place to find out.

What is certain is that many early reports, including photos and video from the scene have turned out to be PSYOPs, such as Russian tanks running over motorists, the bombings of residential buildings and the “Ghost of Kyiv”, that have turned out to be fake. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger has shared no less than three such fake stories on Twitter.

I’ve seen reports that Russian forces vaporized both the Ukrainian air force and the navy within the first hour, I’ve seen video of a truly massive explosion from a weapons depot that was bombed in Cherkasy and a video from an American living in Kyiv, saying that the Russians had not turned off telephony, electricity or water; that the utilities were all working in the capital city.

The main targets appear to be Ukrainian military bases and several biolabs run by the US Department of Defense – up to thirteen of them spread out all over Ukraine. All of these have been bombed.

The Hopium crowd believes Putin is liberating the world from the Deep State, by destroying their bioweapons labs and their money-laundering headquarters – and I’d love for them to be right.

Happily, there is some serious prophecy horsepower to support this Hopium. If Russia ends up saving the world, it would be a fulfillment not only of Edgar Cayce’s prophecies but those of the famous Marian apparitions in both Fátima, Portugal in 1917 and in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1981.

The late Father Malachi Martin claims to have read the 3rd secret of Fátima. Without disclosing its full contents, which he had sworn to keep secret, he told radio host, Art Bell in the 1990s that the prophecy essentially said Russia would commit the error of Communism, then heal itself of this scourge and proceed to lead the way for the rest of the world:

“Salvation for the world, the cure for the world ills, will start in the Ukraine and in Russia, and that was why the Virgin in the Fatima vision of 1917 was supposed to have spoken actively about Russia and that Russia first of all has to be cured of her errors and then she will help the entire world to get better and to cure itself of its sins.”

In October of 1981, Our Lady of Medjugorje revealed her “Russia Prophecy” to six young children. She said “Russia will come to glorify God the most, the West will make civilization progress but without God and will act like their own creator,” as recorded by Marian expert, Father René Laurentin.

The Medjugorje apparitions had begun shortly after the first assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II and he said of them, “Medjugorje is a continuation, an extension of Fátima. Our Lady is appearing in Communist countries primarily because of problems that originate in Russia.”

At Fátima in 1917, the apparition had ordered the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which Pope John Paul II took very seriously after his nearly fatal shooting and which he completed on March 24, 1984. This was swiftly followed by the collapse of Communist rule in Poland in 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union on Christmas day 1991.

In 1944, Edgar Cayce prophesied that Russia would help prevent the destruction of mankind. He foresaw a future world financial crisis, and he pointed to Russia as being the “thorn in the side” of the financial powers that were organizing themselves against the good of humanity, describing Russia’s role as being the “hope of the world”:

“In Russia there comes the hope of the world, not as that sometimes termed of the communistic, or Bolshevik, no; but freedom, freedom! That each man will live for his fellow man! The principle has been born. It will take years for it to be crystallized, but out of Russia comes again the hope of the world.

“Guided by what? That friendship with the nation that hath even set on its present monetary unit ‘In God We Trust.’”

It would be wonderful if that’s what’s happening over there but if nothing else, it looks like Vladimir Putin has cured COVID. New York State will be lifting the mask mandate on schools and New York City will soon follow.

___
https://forbiddenknowledgetv.net/edg...the-end-times/

Viking

[Tintin]

Now may be a time to perhaps revisit this film documentary made in 2016 covering some of the history of Ukraine and the events of 2014.

Ukraine on Fire

Source: Avalon Library

[gord]

from Housatonic.Live

Ep 53.2: US DTRA funding of biological research labs in Ukraine / Dilyana Gaytandzhieva interview

https://odysee.com/@Housatonic:0/364-ep-53-2:6



[Edit: thank you, Bill. Also mirrored here: https://www.bitchute.com/video/KathL3c8Goqf/]

[Gwin Ru]

...

... this is probably posted somewhere; in that case, here it is again:

Vladimir Putin – “Empire of Lies” Speech – Full – February 24, 2022

Alexandra Bruce
5 hours ago

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=X6YeIM85SJg

TEXT OF SPEECH – February 24, 2022

Citizens of Russia, friends,

I consider it necessary today to speak again about the tragic events in Donbass and the key aspects of ensuring the security of Russia.

I will begin with what I said in my address on February 21, 2022. I spoke about our biggest concerns and worries, and about the fundamental threats which irresponsible Western politicians created for Russia consistently, rudely and unceremoniously from year to year. I am referring to the eastward expansion of NATO, which is moving its military infrastructure ever closer to the Russian border.

It is a fact that over the past 30 years we have been patiently trying to come to an agreement with the leading NATO countries regarding the principles of equal and indivisible security in Europe. In response to our proposals, we invariably faced either cynical deception and lies or attempts at pressure and blackmail, while the North Atlantic alliance continued to expand despite our protests and concerns. Its military machine is moving and, as I said, is approaching our very border.

Why is this happening? Where did this insolent manner of talking down from the height of their exceptionalism, infallibility and all-permissiveness come from? What is the explanation for this contemptuous and disdainful attitude to our interests and absolutely legitimate demands?

The answer is simple. Everything is clear and obvious. In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union grew weaker and subsequently broke apart. That experience should serve as a good lesson for us, because it has shown us that the paralysis of power and will is the first step towards complete degradation and oblivion. We lost confidence for only one moment, but it was enough to disrupt the balance of forces in the world.

As a result, the old treaties and agreements are no longer effective. Entreaties and requests do not help. Anything that does not suit the dominant state, the powers that be, is denounced as archaic, obsolete and useless. At the same time, everything it regards as useful is presented as the ultimate truth and forced on others regardless of the cost, abusively and by any means available. Those who refuse to comply are subjected to strong-arm tactics.

What I am saying now does not concerns only Russia, and Russia is not the only country that is worried about this. This has to do with the entire system of international relations, and sometimes even US allies. The collapse of the Soviet Union led to a redivision of the world, and the norms of international law that developed by that time – and the most important of them, the fundamental norms that were adopted following WWII and largely formalised its outcome – came in the way of those who declared themselves the winners of the Cold War.

Of course, practice, international relations and the rules regulating them had to take into account the changes that took place in the world and in the balance of forces. However, this should have been done professionally, smoothly, patiently, and with due regard and respect for the interests of all states and one’s own responsibility. Instead, we saw a state of euphoria created by the feeling of absolute superiority, a kind of modern absolutism, coupled with the low cultural standards and arrogance of those who formulated and pushed through decisions that suited only themselves. The situation took a different turn.

There are many examples of this. First a bloody military operation was waged against Belgrade, without the UN Security Council’s sanction but with combat aircraft and missiles used in the heart of Europe. The bombing of peaceful cities and vital infrastructure went on for several weeks. I have to recall these facts, because some Western colleagues prefer to forget them, and when we mentioned the event, they prefer to avoid speaking about international law, instead emphasising the circumstances which they interpret as they think necessary.

Then came the turn of Iraq, Libya and Syria. The illegal use of military power against Libya and the distortion of all the UN Security Council decisions on Libya ruined the state, created a huge seat of international terrorism, and pushed the country towards a humanitarian catastrophe, into the vortex of a civil war, which has continued there for years. The tragedy, which was created for hundreds of thousands and even millions of people not only in Libya but in the whole region, has led to a large-scale exodus from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe.

A similar fate was also prepared for Syria. The combat operations conducted by the Western coalition in that country without the Syrian government’s approval or UN Security Council’s sanction can only be defined as aggression and intervention.

But the example that stands apart from the above events is, of course, the invasion of Iraq without any legal grounds. They used the pretext of allegedly reliable information available in the United States about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. To prove that allegation, the US Secretary of State held up a vial with white power, publicly, for the whole world to see, assuring the international community that it was a chemical warfare agent created in Iraq. It later turned out that all of that was a fake and a sham, and that Iraq did not have any chemical weapons. Incredible and shocking but true. We witnessed lies made at the highest state level and voiced from the high UN rostrum. As a result we see a tremendous loss in human life, damage, destruction, and a colossal upsurge of terrorism.

Overall, it appears that nearly everywhere, in many regions of the world where the United States brought its law and order, this created bloody, non-healing wounds and the curse of international terrorism and extremism. I have only mentioned the most glaring but far from only examples of disregard for international law.

This array includes promises not to expand NATO eastwards even by an inch. To reiterate: they have deceived us, or, to put it simply, they have played us. Sure, one often hears that politics is a dirty business. It could be, but it shouldn’t be as dirty as it is now, not to such an extent. This type of con-artist behaviour is contrary not only to the principles of international relations but also and above all to the generally accepted norms of morality and ethics. Where is justice and truth here? Just lies and hypocrisy all around.

Incidentally, US politicians, political scientists and journalists write and say that a veritable “empire of lies” has been created inside the United States in recent years. It is hard to disagree with this – it is really so. But one should not be modest about it: the United States is still a great country and a system-forming power. All its satellites not only humbly and obediently say yes to and parrot it at the slightest pretext but also imitate its behaviour and enthusiastically accept the rules it is offering them. Therefore, one can say with good reason and confidence that the whole so-called Western bloc formed by the United States in its own image and likeness is, in its entirety, the very same “empire of lies.”

As for our country, after the disintegration of the USSR, given the entire unprecedented openness of the new, modern Russia, its readiness to work honestly with the United States and other Western partners, and its practically unilateral disarmament, they immediately tried to put the final squeeze on us, finish us off, and utterly destroy us. This is how it was in the 1990s and the early 2000s, when the so-called collective West was actively supporting separatism and gangs of mercenaries in southern Russia. What victims, what losses we had to sustain and what trials we had to go through at that time before we broke the back of international terrorism in the Caucasus! We remember this and will never forget.

Properly speaking, the attempts to use us in their own interests never ceased until quite recently: they sought to destroy our traditional values and force on us their false values that would erode us, our people from within, the attitudes they have been aggressively imposing on their countries, attitudes that are directly leading to degradation and degeneration, because they are contrary to human nature. This is not going to happen. No one has ever succeeded in doing this, nor will they succeed now.

Despite all that, in December 2021, we made yet another attempt to reach agreement with the United States and its allies on the principles of European security and NATO’s non-expansion. Our efforts were in vain. The United States has not changed its position. It does not believe it necessary to agree with Russia on a matter that is critical for us. The United States is pursuing its own objectives, while neglecting our interests.

Of course, this situation begs a question: what next, what are we to expect? If history is any guide, we know that in 1940 and early 1941 the Soviet Union went to great lengths to prevent war or at least delay its outbreak. To this end, the USSR sought not to provoke the potential aggressor until the very end by refraining or postponing the most urgent and obvious preparations it had to make to defend itself from an imminent attack. When it finally acted, it was too late.

As a result, the country was not prepared to counter the invasion by Nazi Germany, which attacked our Motherland on June 22, 1941, without declaring war. The country stopped the enemy and went on to defeat it, but this came at a tremendous cost. The attempt to appease the aggressor ahead of the Great Patriotic War proved to be a mistake which came at a high cost for our people. In the first months after the hostilities broke out, we lost vast territories of strategic importance, as well as millions of lives. We will not make this mistake the second time. We have no right to do so.

Those who aspire to global dominance have publicly designated Russia as their enemy. They did so with impunity. Make no mistake, they had no reason to act this way. It is true that they have considerable financial, scientific, technological, and military capabilities. We are aware of this and have an objective view of the economic threats we have been hearing, just as our ability to counter this brash and never-ending blackmail. Let me reiterate that we have no illusions in this regard and are extremely realistic in our assessments.

As for military affairs, even after the dissolution of the USSR and losing a considerable part of its capabilities, today’s Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states. Moreover, it has a certain advantage in several cutting-edge weapons. In this context, there should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country.

At the same time, technology, including in the defence sector, is changing rapidly. One day there is one leader, and tomorrow another, but a military presence in territories bordering on Russia, if we permit it to go ahead, will stay for decades to come or maybe forever, creating an ever mounting and totally unacceptable threat for Russia.

Even now, with NATO’s eastward expansion the situation for Russia has been becoming worse and more dangerous by the year. Moreover, these past days NATO leadership has been blunt in its statements that they need to accelerate and step up efforts to bring the alliance’s infrastructure closer to Russia’s borders. In other words, they have been toughening their position. We cannot stay idle and passively observe these developments. This would be an absolutely irresponsible thing to do for us.

Any further expansion of the North Atlantic alliance’s infrastructure or the ongoing efforts to gain a military foothold of the Ukrainian territory are unacceptable for us. Of course, the question is not about NATO itself. It merely serves as a tool of US foreign policy. The problem is that in territories adjacent to Russia, which I have to note is our historical land, a hostile “anti-Russia” is taking shape. Fully controlled from the outside, it is doing everything to attract NATO armed forces and obtain cutting-edge weapons.

For the United States and its allies, it is a policy of containing Russia, with obvious geopolitical dividends. For our country, it is a matter of life and death, a matter of our historical future as a nation. This is not an exaggeration; this is a fact. It is not only a very real threat to our interests but to the very existence of our state and to its sovereignty. It is the red line which we have spoken about on numerous occasions. They have crossed it.

This brings me to the situation in Donbass. We can see that the forces that staged the coup in Ukraine in 2014 have seized power, are keeping it with the help of ornamental election procedures and have abandoned the path of a peaceful conflict settlement. For eight years, for eight endless years we have been doing everything possible to settle the situation by peaceful political means. Everything was in vain.

As I said in my previous address, you cannot look without compassion at what is happening there. It became impossible to tolerate it. We had to stop that atrocity, that genocide of the millions of people who live there and who pinned their hopes on Russia, on all of us. It is their aspirations, the feelings and pain of these people that were the main motivating force behind our decision to recognise the independence of the Donbass people’s republics.

I would like to additionally emphasize the following. Focused on their own goals, the leading NATO countries are supporting the far-right nationalists and neo-Nazis in Ukraine, those who will never forgive the people of Crimea and Sevastopol for freely making a choice to reunite with Russia.

They will undoubtedly try to bring war to Crimea just as they have done in Donbass, to kill innocent people just as members of the punitive units of Ukrainian nationalists and Hitler’s accomplices did during the Great Patriotic War. They have also openly laid claim to several other Russian regions.

If we look at the sequence of events and the incoming reports, the showdown between Russia and these forces cannot be avoided. It is only a matter of time. They are getting ready and waiting for the right moment. Moreover, they went as far as aspire to acquire nuclear weapons. We will not let this happen.

I have already said that Russia accepted the new geopolitical reality after the dissolution of the USSR. We have been treating all new post-Soviet states with respect and will continue to act this way. We respect and will respect their sovereignty, as proven by the assistance we provided to Kazakhstan when it faced tragic events and a challenge in terms of its statehood and integrity. However, Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist while facing a permanent threat from the territory of today’s Ukraine.

Let me remind you that in 2000–2005 we used our military to push back against terrorists in the Caucasus and stood up for the integrity of our state. We preserved Russia. In 2014, we supported the people of Crimea and Sevastopol. In 2015, we used our Armed Forces to create a reliable shield that prevented terrorists from Syria from penetrating Russia. This was a matter of defending ourselves. We had no other choice.

The same is happening today. They did not leave us any other option for defending Russia and our people, other than the one we are forced to use today. In these circumstances, we have to take bold and immediate action. The people’s republics of Donbass have asked Russia for help.

In this context, in accordance with Article 51 (Chapter VII) of the UN Charter, with permission of Russia’s Federation Council, and in execution of the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic, ratified by the Federal Assembly on February 22, I made a decision to carry out a special military operation.

The purpose of this operation is to protect people who, for eight years now, have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kiev regime. To this end, we will seek to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine, as well as bring to trial those who perpetrated numerous bloody crimes against civilians, including against citizens of the Russian Federation.

It is not our plan to occupy the Ukrainian territory. We do not intend to impose anything on anyone by force. At the same time, we have been hearing an increasing number of statements coming from the West that there is no need any more to abide by the documents setting forth the outcomes of World War II, as signed by the totalitarian Soviet regime. How can we respond to that?

The outcomes of World War II and the sacrifices our people had to make to defeat Nazism are sacred. This does not contradict the high values of human rights and freedoms in the reality that emerged over the post-war decades. This does not mean that nations cannot enjoy the right to self-determination, which is enshrined in Article 1 of the UN Charter.

Let me remind you that the people living in territories which are part of today’s Ukraine were not asked how they want to build their lives when the USSR was created or after World War II. Freedom guides our policy, the freedom to choose independently our future and the future of our children. We believe that all the peoples living in today’s Ukraine, anyone who want to do this, must be able to enjoy this right to make a free choice.

In this context I would like to address the citizens of Ukraine. In 2014, Russia was obliged to protect the people of Crimea and Sevastopol from those who you yourself call “nats.” The people of Crimea and Sevastopol made their choice in favour of being with their historical homeland, Russia, and we supported their choice. As I said, we could not act otherwise.

The current events have nothing to do with a desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They are connected with the defending Russia from those who have taken Ukraine hostage and are trying to use it against our country and our people.

I reiterate: we are acting to defend ourselves from the threats created for us and from a worse peril than what is happening now. I am asking you, however hard this may be, to understand this and to work together with us so as to turn this tragic page as soon as possible and to move forward together, without allowing anyone to interfere in our affairs and our relations but developing them independently, so as to create favourable conditions for overcoming all these problems and to strengthen us from within as a single whole, despite the existence of state borders. I believe in this, in our common future.

I would also like to address the military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Comrade officers,

Your fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers did not fight the Nazi occupiers and did not defend our common Motherland to allow today’s neo-Nazis to seize power in Ukraine. You swore the oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people and not to the junta, the people’s adversary which is plundering Ukraine and humiliating the Ukrainian people.

I urge you to refuse to carry out their criminal orders. I urge you to immediately lay down arms and go home. I will explain what this means: the military personnel of the Ukrainian army who do this will be able to freely leave the zone of hostilities and return to their families.

I want to emphasise again that all responsibility for the possible bloodshed will lie fully and wholly with the ruling Ukrainian regime.

I would now like to say something very important for those who may be tempted to interfere in these developments from the outside. No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history. No matter how the events unfold, we are ready. All the necessary decisions in this regard have been taken. I hope that my words will be heard.

Citizens of Russia,

The culture and values, experience and traditions of our ancestors invariably provided a powerful underpinning for the wellbeing and the very existence of entire states and nations, their success and viability. Of course, this directly depends on the ability to quickly adapt to constant change, maintain social cohesion, and readiness to consolidate and summon all the available forces in order to move forward.

We always need to be strong, but this strength can take on different forms. The “empire of lies,” which I mentioned in the beginning of my speech, proceeds in its policy primarily from rough, direct force. This is when our saying on being “all brawn and no brains” applies.

We all know that having justice and truth on our side is what makes us truly strong. If this is the case, it would be hard to disagree with the fact that it is our strength and our readiness to fight that are the bedrock of independence and sovereignty and provide the necessary foundation for building a reliable future for your home, your family, and your Motherland.

Dear compatriots,

I am certain that devoted soldiers and officers of Russia’s Armed Forces will perform their duty with professionalism and courage. I have no doubt that the government institutions at all levels and specialists will work effectively to guarantee the stability of our economy, financial system and social wellbeing, and the same applies to corporate executives and the entire business community. I hope that all parliamentary parties and civil society take a consolidated, patriotic position.

At the end of the day, the future of Russia is in the hands of its multi-ethnic people, as has always been the case in our history. This means that the decisions that I made will be executed, that we will achieve the goals we have set, and reliably guarantee the security of our Motherland.

I believe in your support and the invincible force rooted in the love for our Fatherland.

February 24, 2022
06:00

The Kremlin, Moscow

Contributed by Alexandra Bruce

[norman]

https://t.me/Royboy17th/4703

Royboy17
Forwarded from
RT News
⚡️ Russia to strike Kiev security service HQ with ‘high-precision weapons’ – warns residents living close by to evacuate

Russia will launch a strike against the 'Center for Information and Psychological Operations' in the Ukrainian capital to suppress the number of information attacks on various state institutions and Russian citizens.

Moscow warned residents who live in close proximity to communications towers near the headquarters in the center of Kiev to evacuate their homes for their own safety.

Subscribe to RT t.me/rtnews

[mountain_jim]

https://twitter.com/doukhobour/statu...ndNdOKWcsmlKsQ

https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/sta...ndNdOKWcsmlKsQ

[chrifri]

Just watched the following video,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxn_DdshwCc

which I found on the twitter link on Mountain Jims post above

To my surprise, Chrystia Freeland, again. Just listened to her (from minute 4:33 to 7:17). Wow. She claimed that the Russians in the Ukraine live better in the Ukraine than in Russia. Was she talking about the Russians in the Donbass region?