G-7 Summit: Russia Bashing Featured

by Stephen Lendman

G-7 British, Canadian, French, German, Italian, Japanese and US leaders meeting Sunday and Monday in Germany intend assuring dirty business as usual continues.

Expect Russia bashing to be featured - including extending lawless sanctions and irresponsibly blaming Putin for US orchestrated/Kiev aggression in Donbass.

Russia is the continent's leading peacemaker - fundamentally against war, other forms of violence and instability. At the same time, prioritizing mutual cooperation with all nations - especially on issues mattering most.

G-7 countries are belligerents, irresponsibly bashing Russia for their own self-interest. Even Japan upgraded its military alliance with Washington - partnering against China.

So-called leaders of the free world are meeting under heavy security at Germany's luxury Elmau Castle in the Bavarian Alps. No ordinary folks are welcome anywhere near the site.

Large global justice protests are ongoing in Garmisch-Partenkirchen - a resort town a few miles from the summit's venue. Thousands of police responded violently as expected.

One protester spoke for others saying "(w)hat we bring here is protest against capitalist globalization, where people get impoverished every year more."

Another said G-7 leaders "are responsible for war, for environmental destruction, and I think it's the symptoms of the capitalist system."

German Communist party vice president Hans-Peter Brenner said "Russia is not a communist country anymore…but I think (it) has a great role to play against the aggressive NATO, and therefore we want to have cooperation between European countries including Russia."

"(A)nti-G-7 communists are also against NATO's interference in the affairs of Ukraine."

Last week, former leftist German politician Oskar Lafontaine called the G-7 lineup "questionable. I believe we must invite Putin," he said.

Major world issues can't be properly addressed without him, China's Xi and India's Modi, he stressed. Other German politicians voiced similar views.

Bavarian taxpayers association president Rolf von Hohenhau estimates two days of talks for seven leaders, their entourages and massive security involving thousands of police and other personnel will cost about 360 million euros - about $400 million.

In March 2014, Vladimir Putin was excluded. G-8 became G-7, maybe permanently.

Germany's Angela Merkel called Russia's participation impossible without returning Crimea to Ukraine. At the same time, she knows its residents overwhelming voted to return to Russia as international law allows. Self-determination is a universal right.

She ludicrously said G-7 nations "are united with such values as democracy and the rule of law" - knowing NATO members America, Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Italy egregiously violate it repeatedly, waging direct and proxy wars of aggression against nonthreatening states.

America's media urge continued anti-Russian toughness. A previous article discussed irresponsible New York Times Putin bashing. Its editors urged maintaining illegal sanctions.

A feature June 6 Times article headlined "Task for Obama at Group of 7 Is to Reinforce Isolation of Russia."

Instead of responsibly urging mutual cooperation in dealing with major world issues, the Times wants one of the world's most important countries isolated, marginalized, weakened and vilified - based on Big Lies about its agenda.

Deputy US national security advisor Ben Rhodes said "(m)ost urgently, the focus is on maintaining unity around the sanctions…"

"We need to maintain the pressure, show that there cannot be cracks in the trans-Atlantic unity, and show that the costs are just going to continue to grow for Russia."

According to The Times, "debate over how to address Moscow's (nonexistent) aggression in Ukraine is likely to overshadow the meetings…"

How long some European leaders will continue going along with policies harming their own interests remain to be seen.

Last June, Putin parried his G-7 snub by wishing world leaders "bon appetit." On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said:

"The G8 format was not always that productive. Working (with other) BRICS (countries Brazil, China India and South Africa) and G-20 (nations) is much more interesting for us."

The Wall Street Journal hyped nonexistent "Russian aggression" in Ukraine saying "for the second consecutive year…leaders gather for what senior US officials describe as 'a meeting of the minds on Ukraine.' "

Former US deputy national security advisor to Vice President Biden, Julianne Smith, called Ukraine the "800 pound gorilla" at the summit.

Talks will focus heavily on what's next. Escalated Kiev belligerence orchestrated by Washington indicate continued war blamed on Russia.

Expect heavy-handed US pressure to get EU partners to go along with what harms their own interests. It bears repeating. For how long remains to be seen.

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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