Kiev Wants War, not Peace

by Stephen Lendman

Fascists operate this way. Abhoring democracy. Wanting it prohibited at all costs. Going all-out to prevent it.

Intending nationwide hardline rule. With full US support and encouragement.

Agreements Kiev signs aren't worth the paper they're written on. Worthless documents. Systematically breached straightaway. Fascism writ large and then some.

All take. No give. Mindless of rule of law principles, norms and standards.

Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Kiev of violating last April's four-party (US/EU/Russia/Ukraine) agreement. Straightaway. Multiple additional times.

After promising deescalation. Refraining from violence, intimidation and provocative actions.

Peace and security for all Ukrainians. Ending extremism, racism and religious intolerance.

Pledging constitutional reform. Real democracy. Broad national dialogue and consensus. Outreach to all Ukrainian communities.

Pledges were systematically violated. According to Russia's Foreign Ministry:

"It has become obvious that all of these agreements (Kiev promised to support) have been seriously breached…"

"In looking at the current situation, the question arises as to the practicality of returning to a format that has not brought the expected results."

Kiev spurned deescalation. It's "deploying heavy military equipment that has led to the deaths of thousands of human lives and great destruction."

Unilaterally canceling Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) special status rule makes conflict resolution impossible.

According to a joint DPR/LPR statement:

"The law passed on the special status, as well as the law on amnesty that was agreed on with the DPR and LPR are obligatory to Kiev. This has been set in the September 5 Minsk protocol."

"Now, after the unilateral decision on canceling these laws, the September 5 Minsk protocol has virtually been wiped out by the Kiev clique." Fascist putschists ruling illegitimately.

"It is obvious that (Minsk protocol terms need) review(ing). The DPR and LPR cannot operate on the basis of a document from which (oligarch president Petro) Poroshenko has removed important points."

Breaching what he agreed to unilaterally. Without just cause.

"Instead of developing it and adopting it in a new version, agreed during the Minsk consultations, Poroshenko simply cancels it and proposes a new one instead which has not been agreed by the representatives of Donbas and which no one has seen."

"We are prepared to work on a new edition of the protocol." Key is enforceability. Holding violators accountable.

DPR and LPR "strongly reaffirm the strict implementation of the September 19 Minsk memorandum on ceasefire, as well as our commitment to the Minsk peace process as a whole."

"In the upcoming days, the popularly elected heads of DPR and LPR will name their plenipotentiaries for the Minsk talks."

Kiev's war without mercy continues. Violating Minsk protocol and followup memorandum terms. Mandating immediate bilateral ceasefire.

Banning all offensive operations. Withdrawing all foreign mercenaries from conflict areas. Dialoguing for peace, security and stability.

Fighting never stopped. Kiev shelling continues. The latest incident killed two Donetsk schoolchildren. Injured four others.

DPR spokesperson Natalya Yemchenko said wounded children "were taken to the Donetsk regional trauma unit."

"They are now in intensive care. One of them is in critical condition, and three others are in a state of moderate severity."

"There were children - a lot of them - at the stadium" in harm's way. Noncombatants. Playing football.

"When attempts were made to evacuate them from the pitch, the massive shelling continued in the area. It was hard for the medics to get to them."

Their school was heavily damaged. Amnesty International's Central European and Central Asian program deputy head Denis Krivosheev said:

"There should be a thorough investigation into the shocking attack in Donetsk. If the components of war crime are detected, those responsible should be brought to justice."

Russian Investigation Committee members intend a criminal probe into what happened. They believe Kiev's attack aimed to "eliminate a Russian-speaking ethnic group living on the territory of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic."

Russia's lower house State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin said:

Yesterday Donetsk again was shelled by armed groupings, subordinated to the official Kiev."

"The school became one of the targets in this shelling which killed two teenagers…Such crimes must not be unpunished."

Moscow's Foreign Ministry human rights envoy Konstantin Dolgov agrees, saying:

"The killing of children in Donetsk is a gravest crime! It is to be investigated objectively and those responsible are to be punished severely."

Amnesty International issued a statement, saying:

"The deaths of two children killed by shelling while they played football on a school playing field in eastern Ukraine must be immediately, fully and impartially investigated."

"Today's shocking attack in Donetsk must by fully investigated. If it is found to constitute a war crime, those responsible must be brought to justice."

Russia's NATO ambassador Alexander Grushko accused NATO of ignoring Kiev's Minsk protocol violations, saying:

"Instead of advising their 'special partners' in Kiev on scrupulous compliance with the Minsk accords and the opening of a full-scale political dialogue with representatives of the country's eastern regions, NATO prefers to hush up encroachments on the obligations the Ukrainian authorities undersigned."

"Along with it, NATO officials feel unrestrained as they conjure up ever more new arguments about the allegedly continuing Russian efforts to destabilize the situation in Ukraine."

"That's a sign of the same distorted logic, and it testifies to a firmly formed habit of laying fault at others' doors."

Putin's geopolitical comments are forthright, clear and unequivocal. Expressing consistent support for Minsk protocol and followup memorandum terms.

Wanting nothing interfering with their implementation. At the same time, skeptical about Kiev's commitment to peace.

Repeated ceasefire violations suggest otherwise. "Despite (Minsk terms), firing on peaceful cities continues and civilians are still dying," he said.

Kiev bears full responsibility. It bears repeating. With full US support and encouragement.

One fascist regime supports another. Rogue partners in mass slaughter and destruction.

Abhorring peace. Continuing war without mercy. Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Kiev of deploying more troops to Ukraine's Southeast.

Breaching Geneva and Minsk terms. Mandating "conflicting sides refrain from any forceful actions (and) provocations."

Instead of mandated deescalation, Kiev appears headed for further confrontation.

"Instead of a real constitutional reform and establishing dialogue with its own people, (Kiev) undertook some behind-the-scenes moves, which have so far resulted in nothing but empty promises."

Rogue states operate this way. Lawlessly. Kiev pledges one thing. It does another.

Protracted conflict ahead is likely. Perhaps more intensely than already. Jeopardizing thousands of lives. Civilians in harm's way.

Risking East/West confrontation. In his November 4 Russian National Unity Day address, Putin said "(t)his year we have been through some tough challenges."

"Our people responded…with consolidation and a spiritual and moral upheaval, just as it did many times in the past."

"Striving for justice and truth has always been held high in Russia. There is no threat that can force us to forsake our values and ideals."

Putin is today's world moral leader. Going all-out for resolving Ukrainian crisis conditions peacefully. Along with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Unjust criticism follows their best efforts. Big Lies distort them maliciously. Washington bears full responsibility.

Rogue EU partners share it. So do media scoundrels. Supporting Western imperial adventurism.

Burying hard truths. Proliferating Big Lies. Unjustly blaming Putin for their crimes. Jointly with their Ukrainian puppets.

Putschists with no legitimacy whatever. Risking greater confrontation than already. What no responsible leaders would dare.

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

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

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

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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