Putin Blames West for Ukraine Conflict

by Stephen Lendman

Washington bears full responsibility. Rogue EU partners share it. So do Kiev fascist putschists.

They're convenient US stooges. They mock legitimacy. State terrorism is official policy.

Washington fully supports it. Putin forthrightly condemns it. He represents responsible geopolitical leadership. He's polar opposite Obama.

His spokesman Dmitry Peskov released an official statement. It addressed Odessa's massacre, saying:

"The authorities in Kiev not only bear direct responsibility, but are complicit in these criminal activities. Their arms are up to the elbows in blood."

Odessa reflects "the connivance of those who consider themselves the authority in Kiev."

"They allowed extremists and radicals to burn unarmed people alive. I stress that these people were unarmed."

Washington and rogue EU partners represent "the highest manifestation of cynicism."

"The people who justify this punitive operation are the same ones that did not allow the legitimate President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovich, to bring order to the country."

"In spite of consistent attempts to encourage dialogue, Russia has hit against provocation not only from Kiev, but also its Western sponsors."

Kiev putschists prevent any possibility for resolving things diplomatically, he added.

Obama outrageously called unrestrained violence "a move to restore order."

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was no better. "(T)he state's monopoly on the legitimate use of violence needs to be respected," she said.

Peskov called her comment "monstrous," adding: "Our colleagues in the West are basically trying to justify the large numbers of murders we are seeing."

Moscow got thousands of Eastern Ukrainian calls for help, he said. "Desperate people call. They ask for help."

"The vast majority want Russia's help. All these calls are reported to President Vladimir Putin."

Kramatorsk shares the eye of the storm. Ukrainian military forces attacked city residents. Right Sector thugs joined them.

Street fighting rages. Overnight Friday, at least 10 activists were killed. Dozens more were wounded.

Journalist Graham Phillips said all roads "in and out of Kramatorsk (are) blocked off."

RT International's Paula Slier said one resident told her "he heard (about) Right Sector (thugs) putting people on their knees and shooting them in (the) back of the head…"

She believes neo-Nazi thug Dmytro Yarosh is in Kramatorsk directing cold-blooded murder.

Two city checkpoints were destroyed. A TV tower was seized. Regime snipers atop buildings fire on city residents.

Street fighting rages. Civilians are being murdered in cold blood.  Coup-appointed Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said the operation's "active phase" would continue on Saturday.

"We are not going to stop," he added. A Donbas self-defense forces statement said:

"The security operation in Kramatorsk has resumed, snipers controlled by the Kiev government have occupied multi-story buildings and are firing from there."

"In addition, there is fighting on the town streets, involving the use of various weapons."

Casualties "are mainly civilians, who happened to be near the scene of fighting."

Donetsk regional cities are under attack. Activist Nikolai Solntsev said:

"(F)ull mobilization (was) declared. Our security services are ready for full-scale military actions."

"We will mobilize our people today in the united people's struggle resistance movement…" It's an ongoing struggle for freedom, he added.

Yasnogorka was attacked. It's adjacent to Kramatorsk. An eye-witness said hostilities began late Friday.

Lights were turned off. "Shots (were) heard across the city. Signal rockets (lit) up the sky…Peoples (said) the Ukrainian army is shooting at everything that moves right now."

Deaths and injuries were reported. Slavyansk hostilities continued. Self-defense forces headquarters was attacked.

Snipers target city residents indiscriminately. Odessa remains under attack. Lawless aggression defines official putschist policy.

Unarmed civilians are fair game. They're being killed and injured in cold blood. Fighting shows no signs of abating.

Continuing it reveals fascism's ugly face. Deaths and injuries mount. No end of conflict looms. Expect lots more deaths, injuries and suffering ahead.

Media scoundrels turned truth on its head. They ignored Kiev's responsibility for dozens of deaths and injuries.

The New York Times reported Odessa's massacre irresponsibly, saying:

"Violence also erupted Friday in the previously calmer port city of Odessa, on the Black Sea, where dozens of people died in a fire related to clashes that broke out between protesters holding a march for Ukrainian unity and pro-Russian activists."

"Ukrainian and Russian news media showed images of buildings and debris burning, fire bombs being assembled and men armed with pistols."

No mention of Right Sector thugs setting Odessa's Trade Union House ablaze.

Nothing about their blocking ways out. Nothing about their brutally beating dozens managing to escape. Nothing about around two dozen hospitalized in serious condition.

Nothing about Kiev putschists responsibility. Nothing about Washington ordering them to unleash violence against Eastern Ukrainian activists.

The Washington Post was no better. It turned truth on its head, saying:

On Friday, "Ukraine suffered its bloodiest day in nearly three months…when the army launched its first major assault on a rebel stronghold and 34 killed in clashes between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian mobs in the Black Sea port city of Odessa."

"A pro-Ukrainian rally attended by thousands of soccer fans before a game Friday night was attacked by pro-Russian separatists."

Fact: Ukraine's military and Right Sector fascist thugs bear full responsibility for what's happening.

Fact: So-called Russian mobs are ordinary civilians.

Fact: They're activists fighting for freedom.

Fact: They've been indiscriminately attacked.

Fact: Hooligans and Right Sector thugs attacked freedom fighting self-defense forces.

Fact: They're Ukrainians.

Fact: They're civilians.

Fact: They want Ukraine federalized.

Fact: They want local autonomy.

Fact: They want fundamental rights everyone deserves.

Don't expect the Washington Post to explain.

Wall Street Journal editors headlined "Ukraine Needs US Military aid," saying:

"The battle for Ukraine is entering a dangerous new phase, as the Kiev government is finally making an attempt to regain control over its eastern cities from local thugs and Russian special forces."

"Is it too much to ask the US to offer the military means to help Ukraine keeps its own territory?"

Washington bears full responsibility for Ukraine's violence. Journal editors irresponsibly blamed Putin.

He wants to "disrupt his neighbor," they said. He's doing it as May 25 elections approached, they added.

They'll be farcical when held. They'll have no legitimacy whatever.

"The Russian strongman wants to block the vote, or disrupt it enough so he can call it illegitimate," said Journal editors.

"His Russian-sponsored fighters moved this week from smaller towns in eastern Ukraine…"

Fact: Kiev-deployed Right Sector thugs attacked unarmed civilians indiscriminately.

Fact: They murdered dozens in cold blood.

Fact: Ukraine's military committed lawless aggression.

Fact: It continues unabated.

Fact: Unarmed civilians are shot.

Fact: They're murdered in cold blood.

Journal editors want US Washington-supplied military aid. They support lawless aggression. They consider civilians fair game.

They ignored Odessa's massacre. They turned a blind eye to Right Sector thugs shooting unarmed civilians in the back of the head.

They're mindless of fascism's dark side. They expressed full support.

The Chicago Tribune misreported on Odessa's massacre, saying:

Its "riot…ended in a deadly blaze in a trade union building…"

No mention of fascist Right Sector responsibility. Nothing about brutally beating unarmed civilians. Nothing about murdering them in cold blood.

Western countries blamed Russia "for stoking separatism and fear," The Tribune said.

"Moscow could be planning to repeat its 'annexation' of Crimea in other parts of Ukraine," it added.

It turned truth on its head saying so. Tribune readers have no idea what's going on.

Nor do US TV viewers. Their Ukrainian coverage blames victims for Kiev crimes.

Spin suppresses truth. Cold-blooded murder is called self-defense. Civilians are called "terrorists."

Military aggression is called defending Ukraine responsibly. Big Lies substitute for reality. CNN misreported. It's "unclear how (the Odessa) fire began," it claimed.

Fox News blamed Russian special forces. Thousands of Eastern Ukrainians asked Putin for help. According to Fox News, they asked Kiev for protection against Russia.

Other cable channels and broadcasters reported similar Big Lies. They pointed fingers the wrong way.

They've done so throughout months of conflict. They support right over wrong.

Western print and electronic media march in lockstep with imperial lawlessness. They support Kiev putschists.

They're propagandists. They masquerade as journalists. They turn truth on its head. They systematically lie to readers and views.

They endorse what demands condemnation. They do it 24/7 round-the clock.

The battle for Ukraine's soul continues. No end of conflict looms. Expect worse than ever ahead.

Bloodbath in a dozen or more cities could follow. Don't expect media scoundrels to explain accurately.

Expect Big Lies to repeat ad nauseam. Expect truth to be systematically buried.

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

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

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

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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