Ukraine's European Revolution?

[Ed Anger]

Time to just withdraw all American troops from around the world (except MacArthur's boys in the Philippines) and go full isolationist.

Lucullus should be Consul for the upcoming year.

[KRonn]

I've seen in the news that the US, with other NATO nations and Ukraine were planning military exercises in eastern Ukraine. Has anyone heard more on that, or if NATO troops have been deployed? That would really get messy, given that it's almost certain that Czar Putin is planning to invade.

[Syt]

I'm glad that the benevolent Russia sets the record straight! 

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/727113

US grossly violates human rights while claiming to be perfect democracy — Foreign Ministry

Russia's Foreign Ministry said it hoped that the recommendations issued by the Human Rights Committee will be strictly complied with
   
MOSCOW, April 09. /ITAR-TASS/. The United States claims to be a perfect democracy but grossly violates its own human rights obligations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, April 9.

"It is very regrettable when a state that positions itself as a global model and ardent advocate of democracy not only intentionally fails to notice its own flaws in promoting and protecting human rights and to comply with the recommendations issued by international supervisory bodies, but also grossly violates its obligations in this field," the ministry said.

"We hope that the recommendations issued by the Human Rights Committee and aimed at ensuring the fulfilment of the US obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights will be strictly complied with," the ministry said.

It also stressed that it was inadmissible to justify the unlawful interference by the US authorities in the citizens' private contacts, which is often politically motivated, by the need to ensure nationals security.

Seriously, how can they make such a press release with a straight face?

[derspiess]

Seriously, how can they make such a press release with a straight face?

Same way they accuse pro-EU Ukrainians of being fascist while ignoring the fascist characteristics of their own regime, I guess.

[Tamas]

Or the same way they sponsor most all far-right groups in the EU then base their domestic anti-EU propaganda on the far-right groups growing stronger in the EU.

[derspiess]

Or the same way they sponsor most all far-right groups in the EU then base their domestic anti-EU propaganda on the far-right groups growing stronger in the EU.

Hell, the Soviet Union even sponsored a few far right groups back in the day IIRC.

[Tamas]

As I understand, Ukraine has stopped buying Russian gas from Russia, as of this noon.

They are hoping to receive (Russian) gas from Slovakia. The pipeline between the two countries are going east to west though. The Slovakian PM, after checking with the US VP, said they are willing to sell if the Ukrainians are willing to pay.
Gazprom told earlier that they would go to lawsuits with anyone who dares turning the "traffic" in the Slovakian pipeline.

[derspiess]

Well, that escalated quickly.

[Syt]

Voice of America radio doesn't get its contract renewed with Russian broadcasters.

Also: http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/727085

Russian state defense contract volume grows fivefold for past year

Around 16.000 types of weapons and special hardware were delivered to Russian troops and more than 4.000 were repaired within the state defense order in 2013

MOSCOW, April 09. /ITAR-TASS/. The federal agency for supplies of weapons, military, special hardware and for material delivery has reached a fivefold annual growth in the amount of Russian state defense contracts, head of the agency Nadezhda Sinikova told ITAR-TASS on Wednesday.

"A total of 1,376 contracts worth 380 billion roubles (about $10.6 billion) were concluded in 2013, their number has more than doubled on 2012 and their amount has increased more than five times year-on-year," Sinikova said. As much as 5.4 billion roubles (around $151.9 million) were saved on contracts in 2013 that was much more than the indicator posted in the previous year.

The Russian Defense Ministry's leadership decided to empower the federal weapons supply agency to place contracts not only within the country's state defense order for military deals in a concrete year, but also on the whole scope of products made by the military industry for Russian Armed Forces.

"Changes in regulations of the Russian federal weapons supply agency are submitted for coordination with the country's government. Other our contractors are the Federal Security Service, the Interior Ministry, the Federal Penal Service, the Federal Service for Control over Drug Circulation, the Ministry of Emergency Situations that increase the number of their orders every year," the head of the weapons supply agency said. She noted that the amount of purchases planned within the state defense order for 2014 went up more than 30% on the previous year, "This is about one thousand product items for the tune of more than 140 billion roubles (around $3.9 billion) for the needs of the Defense Ministry and around 500 product items worth more than 4.5 billion roubles (around $126.5 million) for federal executive authorities."

The state defense order volume for 2013 has reached 1.3 trillion roubles (around $36.5 billion) in terms of research-and-development projects, purchases of weapons, military and special hardware and repair, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said earlier. Meanwhile, the state defense order volume for 2013 has exceeded 1.4 times that in 2012. The deputy defense minister noted that now "industrial capacities of enterprises in the military and industrial sector and observance of ecological cycle of weapons production are prioritised."

The Defense Ministry noted that around 16.000 types of weapons and special hardware were delivered to Russian troops and more than 4.000 units were repaired within the state defense order in 2013. The ministry will begin to buy a promising multiservice self-propelled artillery system Koalitsiya-SV soon, tactical ballistic missile systems Iskander, self-propelled artillery systems Msta-S, Tornado-G, self-propelled anti-tank missile systems Khrizantema are planned to be commissioned, purchases of highly mobile modular platforms Taifun-K, Taifun-U, Platforma-O, Arktika are being prepared.

The country's government mulls urgent steps for import substitution and launching production at Russian military enterprises.

[derspiess]

Must be why those Saiga rifles are so goddamned expensive these days

[PRC]

Or the same way they sponsor most all far-right groups in the EU then base their domestic anti-EU propaganda on the far-right groups growing stronger in the EU.

Hell, the Soviet Union even sponsored a few far right groups back in the day IIRC.

Doesn't the US do basically the same thing with NGOs? 

[derspiess]

Or the same way they sponsor most all far-right groups in the EU then base their domestic anti-EU propaganda on the far-right groups growing stronger in the EU.

Hell, the Soviet Union even sponsored a few far right groups back in the day IIRC.

Doesn't the US do basically the same thing with NGOs? 

You mean bankroll fascist or quasi-fascist groups while complaining about imaginary fascism?

[PRC]

Or the same way they sponsor most all far-right groups in the EU then base their domestic anti-EU propaganda on the far-right groups growing stronger in the EU.

Hell, the Soviet Union even sponsored a few far right groups back in the day IIRC.

Doesn't the US do basically the same thing with NGOs? 

You mean bankroll fascist or quasi-fascist groups while complaining about imaginary fascism?

No, more along the lines of bankrolling groups trying to foment political change.

[The Larch]

Well, that escalated quickly.

It's going to be so unfair when Klitschko is around...

[Razgovory]

Looks like we'll see if CdM was right about the Russian Military after all.