Post-Ukrainian Election Violence

by Stephen Lendman

Billionaire oligarch mega-crook Petro Poroshenko is Ukraine's new president. Illegitimate coup-appointed officials anointed him.

Sham election-rigging rubber-stamping followed. Fascism defeated democracy.

Obama said "we commend the resolve of all those who participated, as well as the efforts of the Ukrainian government to conduct these elections in the face of those threats."

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a convenient US stooge.

He "congratulate(ed) the people of Ukraine, who peacefully exercised their right to vote in Sunday's presidential election."

"They showed their commitment to freedom and democracy and their determination to decide their own future."

"Despite the criminal violence, intimidation and provocation by pro-Russian separatists, who tried to deny the people of Ukraine their democratic right, the election was declared by international observers to be largely in line with international commitments and respectful of fundamental freedom."

Kiev's war without mercy continues. Courageous Eastern Ukrainian freedom fighters are called "terrorists."

Civilians are targeted. They're murdered in cold blood. Self-defense fighters are lightly armed.

Heavily armed regime forces attack them. Weapons used include tanks, artillery, mortars, helicopter gunships and warplanes.

Foreign mercenaries and neo-Nazi Right Sector thugs supplement special National Guard forces.

On May 26, Itar Tass headlined "People's militia, National Guard units clash near Donetsk railway station."

Regime helicopter gunships and warplanes overflew Donetsk earlier.

Shooting and explosions were heard. Self-defense forces and Kiev troops clashed on the city's outskirts.

In "nearby settlements." One helicopter was downed. Fighting continues is Grobari settlement.

On Stratonavov Street. Self-defense forces said National Guard troops seized the area's airport.

Snipers operate from nearby tall buildings. A People's Republic of Donetsk tweet said:

"The people’s army has the airport in Donetsk back under control. We are rooting out the remaining Kiev’s remaining troops. Airstrikes have stopped for now."

RT International's Maria Finoshina tweeted earlier:

"The Ukrainian occupiers are conducting missile and bomb strikes on Donetsk International Airport. They are deploying military aircraft."

Witnesses said they "heard at least three blasts. Helicopters are circling over the city, and military jets can be heard flying by."

Residential areas were shelled. Helicopter fire targeted an ANNA News reporter. It happened during a live broadcast.

Kiev's Security Service (SBU) press service spokesman Aleksey Dmitrashkovsky said:

"The counter-terror operation started as two Sukhoi Su-25s flew to the airport."

"They made a warning shot to the area of the terrorists' location."

"Paramilitary troops arrived and they are now cleaning the area off."

Poroshenko favors continued military operations. "I support its continuation," he said. He "demand(s)" a format change.

He wants shorter, more effective operations. He wants better equipped units.

Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is ready for dialogue with him. "We hear what (he said about) relations with Russia that he calls his most important ones."

"We are hoping (he'll) do everything to prevent some extremist radial tendencies in Kiev on the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, or on any other region of this country, from prevailing."

"We hope very much that the Ukrainian authorities will now, after the election, confirm or declare their adherence to the settlement roadmap suggested by the chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe."

"(I)ncumbent authorities should respect their citizens, respect their people and make available compromises based on the interests of all political forces, all ethnic and religious groups."

"It will hardly be possible to achieve anything without that."

"(T)he election campaign was not without problems…(N)ot all presidential candidates were able to reach the end of the distance, not because they did not want to but because no proper conditions had been created for them."

"There were cases when the election campaign was inhibited. One of the candidates was not allowed to board a plane and so on."

"Many simply had to withdraw from the race, not least in fear of the physical consequences."

Russia wants Eastern Ukrainian military operations halted. Lavrov raised concerns about illegally armed groups.

Specifically Right Sector ones he said. Foreign mercenaries are involved.

"Literally yesterday or this morning, Arseniy Yatsenyuk's first deputy Yarema said that the Kiev administration will resume the active phase of the so-called anti-terrorist operation now that the voting is over," said Lavrov.

He called ordering it "a colossal mistake."

"The chance we have now to establish mutually respectful and equal dialogue, bearing in mind the voting that has taken place, the results of which Russia, I repeat, is ready to respect, should not be lost."

"We are hoping that Poroshenko, if his powers are confirmed, will do everything to prevent extremist radical tendencies from prevailing."

Poroshenko named Donbass his first trip destination. He'll visit Moscow in June. He announced it at a press conference, saying:

"As concerns our relations with Russia, this is our largest neighbor. We should stop the war and ensure peace in Eastern Ukraine."

"It is impossible to do without the Russian representation. Meetings with Russian leaders should be held in the first half of June."

Expect he'll seek normalized Ukrainian/Russian relations. Ukraine is broke. It's bankrupt. He needs all the financial help he can get.

He needs Russian markets for Ukrainian goods. He has business interests in Russia. Both countries are natural allies.

Putin is ready to cooperate. Poroshenko won't get it free. He'll  have to pay the price. It includes halting Eastern Ukrainian hostilities.

It's not Poroshenko's choice to make. Not entirely at least. Constitutional changes weakened presidential powers.

Fascists controlling parliament may overrule him. Washington's dirty hands are involved.

It's calling the shots. As long as influential neocons want war, diplomatic conflict resolution won't happen.

Expect things most likely to worsen. Fascist regimes operate this way. None more ruthlessly than America.

War on humanity continues. It's official US policy. One country after another is ravaged and destroyed. Obama has others in mind.

Russia and China are major US rivals. They're independent. They value their sovereign rights. They won't sacrifice them. Nor should they.

They're prime targets. Paul Craig Roberts thinks global war is inevitable. He may be right. Things seem headed that way.

He's a valued contributor to this writer's new edited and contributed to new book titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III."

Neocons infesting Washington make it possible. Madness defines their thinking. Obama is too mindless to contest them.

He shames the office he holds. He's an unindicted war criminal. He belongs in prison, not high office. Impeaching him is a national imperative.

He's by far America's worst ever president. If his war on humanity isn't stopped, he may end up its last!

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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