RUSSIA’S SPUTNIK MAGAZINE: GROWING RIFT BETWEEN THE US AND EU ON ...

This article in Russia's Sputnik magazine was shared wby so many people, that it gave me a bit of a pause, for beyond the obvious and now well-known growing rift between the USA and the EU over the way America has (mis)handled the Ukrainian crisis which it brought about, and then tried to blame on Russia, I could not quite figure out why this article attracted so many people's attention. It took a couple of read-throughs, and then I spotted why it may have caught the eye of so many people. Sputnik of course used to ba an official media mouthpiece of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and one may reasonably assume there is still some connection between that party in Russia and this media outlet. So with that caveat lector, here's the article, and see if you can spot it as well:

Apple of Discord: US, EU Split Over Future of Ukraine, Donbass Status

Right off the bat, the first thing one notes is that the article, or rather, the thoughts in it, do not emanate from Russia, but rather from an American, Eric Zeusse, and then comes the first geopolitical "rub":

The Minsk II agreement has become an apple of discord between the US and the EU, American author and investigative historian Eric Zuesse emphasizes, adding that while the Ukrainian leader backed by the Obama administration continues to violate the accord, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande are insisting that the parties should fulfill the Minsk II provisions.

"On Friday, August 29th, this split became public concerning whether the Minsk II accords for ending the Ukrainian civil war should remain in force. Obama supports the view of Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, to violate the Minsk II accords, which would end it; the same day, Hollande and Merkel agreed with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, that the Minsk II agreement needs to be implemented in full," Zuesse underscored.

In other words, the Minsk agreement, to which the Ukraine itself in the person of Poroshenko was a participant, indicates that The European Big Three, France, Russia, and Germany, wanted a negotiated end to the situation, and the ability of the Donbass to elect its own local officials (certainly should be no problem in a real democracy, right?), while the USA, as odd man out, favors no such thing. Plainly put, the Minsk agreements really expose the fact that the USA is unilaterally driving the situation regardless, and in spite of, the wishes of its European "allies and partners." Poroshenko, in other words, is completely Washington's creature.
Or is he?
Thus far, there's nothing new in the Sputnik article, cited and quoted above, that we didn't know before. So why the fuss for a Russian media outlet to take up yet more space with it?  This was what caused me to read the article twice, the second time, a bit more slowly, and then I spotted what may have been the real centerpiece for the Russians:

"On August 27th, Edward Basurin, a military official of the Donetsk People's Republic had announced 'UAF Massively shelling DPR — Drastic Deterioration,' saying that, 'The fascists have used heavy artillery prohibited by the Minsk Agreements against the civilian areas of Aleksandrovka and Marinka. The outskirts of Donetsk have been struck'," Zuesse narrated.

According to Zuesse, Poroshenko is most likely following the instructions of the Obama administration, most notably the Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland.The US investigative historian called attention to the fact that while US Secretary of State John Kerry put it clear on May 12, 2015 in Sochi that the White House would not support Poroshenko's attempts to take Donbass by force, Victoria Nuland contradicted that openly.  (Emphasis added)

In other words, what Zuesse, and hence Sputnik, is highlighting is that American foreign policy is not being set in the White House, but at the State Department, and this means that there is a very real factional rift between whatever faction Secretary Kerry represents, and that well-known neo-con-war faction that Victoria foul-language Nuland represents. And the reason one can confidently assume that it is factional infighting is because in any normally functioning government, public contradition of the policy position of any department or bureaucracy head by a personal nominally under his or her authority, would be subject to dismissal. After all, Mr. Kerry is the presidentially nominated, Senate-approved, constitutional head of the US Department of State, and made his (and presumably the White House's) position clear. Yet, Ms. Nuland has seen to contradict her boss, and remains in her post. The mind boggles at the possibilities and implications, for if this be true, if there is a real rift between the White House and State, then the possibility exists that there may be similar open defiance in other departments of government. ONe may think, for example, of Mr. Obama's firing of several generals and admirals.

So the real question remains: why is Ms. Nuland still there? It's a question, perhaps, that only Mr. Kerry or Mr. Obama can answer and clarify.

See you on the flip side...

 

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Joseph P. Farrell

Joseph P. Farrell has a doctorate in patristics from the University of Oxford, and pursues research in physics, alternative history and science, and "strange stuff". His book The Giza DeathStar, for which the Giza Community is named, was published in the spring of 2002, and was his first venture into "alternative history and science".

9 Comments

  1. yankee phil on September 10, 2015 at 11:31 pm

    After the Yugoslavian screw-up europeans saw a murderous conflict in their own backyard. No one benefited from the mess except the albanians. Now another proxy war begins in western europe’s backyard. No european wants a major conflict near its borders anymore than south dakota would want a war going on in north dakota. Like business,war either grow’s or slow’s down. Conflicts tend to spill over into other countries and not many governments are willing to sacrifice some lives of their voting public to gain points with Nato. Business and travel are a luxury everyone in europe indulges in when they can and as often as they can. America feels free to stir up trouble for its own benefit at the expense of european security and peace. Poland and a few other countries can be used by Nato as they are the new guys and want to get in good with the boss. This situation will not last forever,even the Polish learn eventually peace is beneficial to prosperity,,,and a lot safer for their people. America is lucky Europe is mostly run by Royalty so the people’s voices are muted by dictatorial powers,but even they(if there’s money to be made)will begin to sue for peace at home when they figure out regional conflict threatens their seats of power as well despite Nato assurances of security in the middle of caos.



  2. Robert Barricklow on September 10, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    The last few weeks on Webster Tarpley’s World Crisis Radio Webster has been focusing on this very issue listing numerous occasions where different departments are at cross swords & cross purposes. This, in my point of view, is due primarily to the clash being manifested between Private Power & Public Power. Where different vested private interests have interface with public policy in different ways with different factions & skin in the global game.



  3. 8thdegreeofj on September 10, 2015 at 2:24 pm

    What a s*** show and I agree with the Dr.’s position that there is a major fissure in the ruling circles of Washington (at least on this subject). But then again we did see Rahm ‘The Cruel’ Emanuel tell Obama the way it was when he was there…

    I think there is something else though in this article that Dr Farrell should revisit and it’s this statement:

    “We continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of
    Ukraine and reiterate our deep commitment to a single Ukrainian
    nation, including Crimea, and all the other regions of Ukraine,”
    the Department’s press spokesperson Jeff Rathke emphasized in an
    official statement on May 15, 2015.”

    Perhaps I’ve missed an article or two on this site but Dr Farrell haven’t you been noting for awhile now that the words “Single Ukrainian nation” and “Crimea” have conspicuously not appeared in the same sentence for a long time? Personally I think there’s more to the Crimea than just a gigantic Russian military base but that is beside the point at the moment.

    Who wrote the ‘departmental press spokesperson’s’ commentary?

    Where does this guy get off saying that the USA is shoulder to shoulder with Poroshenko until Crimea is annexed back to The Ukraine?!

    Assuming that Bigboria Nuland is in support of this line of thinking, why didn’t she say these words herself??! This kind of commentary would be considered inflammatory to those in Putin’s government who have clearly stated their position on Crimea. Is it possible that Crimea was mentioned by this low level spokesman and not the Assistant Secretary of State for precisely the reasoning above?

    But wait just a second; a low level spokesperson? Not quite; Jeff Rathke is the Director of the WH Press Office. Those words did not just fall out of his mouth by accident or incompetence.

    And for the record; just because Mr Rathke was promoted to Director of the WHPO only a few weeks after the MH370 disappearance and then pops up in the Ukraine just before another Malaysian plane crash does not mean that I think he is necessarily connected to either event.

    However, considering that he was a US political counselor to the Malaysian government operating out of the American embassy and was “leading U.S. bilateral and multilateral political engagements with Malaysia” (according to his profile on LinkedIN) on the day MH370 went down…

    Well maybe I do think this guy is fishy or has been operating in smelly waters…



  4. DownunderET on September 10, 2015 at 2:14 pm

    Down here in OZ, it’s the morning of September 11th, and my heart goes out to the victims, and so to our topic of today which is the Ukraine. Once again we see the US foreign policy in full flight, and Ms. Nuland is front and center. If it’s the State Department Vs The White House then let the infighting begin, and the American people will watch a corrupt government extend it’s murdering attitude to the rest of the world. The Ukraine is a train wreck, if it wasn’t before then it is now, thanks to Ms Nuland and the neocons. That murderer Porky Poroshenko has to be seen for what he is, and American policy puppet, and the Ukrainian people, just like the American people will be the victims of ruthless governments making war, and then asking the people to go and fight it. I say damn them all, I have to be polite here, but you can imagine the words I could have used to describe these “wankers”.



  5. marcos toledo on September 10, 2015 at 8:29 am

    Will the real MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE come out from behind the curtain and real themselves. Why are they spending BILLONS of Dollars on elections when it’s a charade to begin with anyway. It is getting time to burn down the house.



    • marcos toledo on September 10, 2015 at 8:38 am

      It should read reveal themselves not real themselves sorry for the mistake.



  6. Frankie Calcutta on September 10, 2015 at 7:20 am

    When they came for the unborn babies, I protested in the streets.
    When they came for the guns, I bought more.
    When they came for the neocons, I closed the curtains, turned on the ballgame and drank a beer.



  7. WalkingDead on September 10, 2015 at 5:28 am

    A better question might be: Why are any of this treasonous lot still there…



  8. basta on September 10, 2015 at 5:24 am

    I will assume that “Why is Ms. Nuland still there?” is a rhetorical question.

    Nonetheless, short answer: the Wall Street+FED Cabal owns the place and the NeoZioCons run the place for them. Kerry (and Congress, Obama and the Supremes) are there to warm chairs and keep up appearances and give the clueless public an idiot button to press every four years, and provide a target to blame. Puppet theatre!



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