“We Are Essentially At War” Ukraine Admits, After Dozens Killed

The Kremlin said yesterday it was receiving “thousands” of pleas for help from Ukraine, warning that it could not control pro-Russian separatists in the country and now required help to resolve the worsening violence.

As Russian troops continued to conduct exercises near the Ukrainian border and the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, demanded the Russian government do more to defuse the situation or risk further economic sanctions, a Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, was quoted as saying that Russia had “lost its influence” over separatists in the region.

Speaking in Moscow yesterday, Mr Peskov said: “People are calling in despair, asking for help. The overwhelming majority demand Russian help. All these calls are reported to [President] Vladimir Putin.”

He made clear that the Russian government blamed the West for the worsening situation, while stressing the need for “dialogue” towards a peaceful resolution. “Kiev and its Western sponsors are practically provoking the bloodshed and bear direct responsibility for it. Those who recognise this junta as a legal power become an accomplice to this crime.”

Ukraine is scheduled to hold a presidential election on 25 May. But Mr Peskov said it would be “absurd” for it to go ahead under the current conditions of “military action, a punitive operation and mass killings”.

Mr Kerry, currently in Africa, spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to warn of further economic penalties if the situation did not stabilise.

“It’s important for Russia to withdraw support for the separatists,” he said. “If those supported by Russia continue to interfere with the elections, regrettably there will have to be sanctions, including the possibility of – the reality of – sector sanctions.”

Mr Lavrov responded by placing the responsibility for defusing the crisis on the West. The US, he said, must use its influence in Kiev.

A former British ambassador to Moscow warned that the Kremlin’s claims not to be orchestrating the situation should not be dismissed. Sir Rodric Braithwaite told The Independent on Sunday: “It may be true that Putin is losing control of events in eastern Ukraine and that he fears being sucked into a situation which could turn out to be unmanageable. It is unlikely that he has abandoned the proposition that he put forward weeks ago, that Ukraine needs a new constitution of a federal kind with specific rights for the Russian-language population in the East … The West will need to think how to respond to these propositions if a constructive negotiation for the benefit of the Ukrainians themselves is to be got under way.”

Independent

19 Comments on "“We Are Essentially At War” Ukraine Admits, After Dozens Killed"

dissident on Sat, 3rd May 2014 7:53 pm 



Congratulations NATO on instigating another civil war like in Yugoslavia. The Right Sector goons feel invincible and lack the desire to accommodate the opposition because they have the full backing of this cold war relic alliance.

Nice to see NATO’s true face regarding democracy. Subverting legitimately elected governments and installing thug regimes who grossly violate human rights.

rockman on Sat, 3rd May 2014 8:25 pm 



“…the Kremlin’s claims not to be orchestrating the situation should not be dismissed.” Maybe a lucky guess or I’m smarter than I think I am: a couple of days ago I tossed out the possibility that the conflicts in E Ukraine were more home grown and Putin was losing what influence he might have had. Might just be more Kremlin propaganda or really the makings of a true civil war. A war that Putin is no more wants to get sucked in to then the EU.

As I postulated once the body bags start to fill up the rules of engagement can deteriorate quickly.

Plantagenet on Sat, 3rd May 2014 9:29 pm 



Its silly to imagine that Putin isn’t pulling the strings in eastern Ukraine after he admitted that he’d been lying and was actually sending in troops and directing events in Crimea. Putin is a self-admitted liar and now he’s clearly lying about eastern Ukraine —the proof is that the NSA has intercepts of Russian controllers telling their agents in Ukraine what to do

MKohnen on Sat, 3rd May 2014 11:01 pm 



Plant,

“NSA has intercepts of Russian controllers telling their agents in Ukraine what to do.” Really? Some proof, please. We already have the proof of what the US is doing in the Ukraine. But for some reason the game goes on, and soon all parties will be sucked into it the same way they were in WWI. You’ll have Obama saying, “I don’t know how we got here” to the chorus of explosions in the US, and Putin saying, “someday we’ll find out who’s responsible for all this” as Russia is destroyed. Does America think it will come out on top? Well, I’m sure Germany did, too. And so did Britain, France, Japan, etc. But only the brain-dead or chronically, religiously, fanatically nationalistic believe that anyone is going to win this. Or maybe, Plant, you believe the military-industrial complex *really cares* about you. If so, you are beyond delusional, and have a merry war. At least you can blame Putin.

GregT on Sun, 4th May 2014 1:45 am 



It would appear that the oligarchs in DC have their war. How many more innocent people need to be brutally slaughtered? Enough is enough. Stop the fucking wars people. Stand up for liberty, justice, freedom, and democracy, or lose it all yourselves.

peakyeast on Sun, 4th May 2014 5:04 am 



And why should one trust the american government and NSA in particular? They are also proven liars, instigators of wars, kidnappings of foreign leaders, drug traffickers and just about any evil and bad thing you can imagine? Or have you forgotten all those things and only remembered whats bad about russia?

Tell me – why trust the american administration more than the russian?

My conclusion is: Its two mega-evils battling each others. Neither have remorse, net intelligence nor decency.

rockman on Sun, 4th May 2014 7:21 am 



The point I made about Putin: he obviously had a plan. And then there’s what actually happening now. I’m not sure if the actions on the ground have now gone off Putin’s script. If the separatists continue to gain control that might not be the power structure Putin had in mind. Or it might be. Always difficult to tell when everyone involved is pushing more propaganda then facts.

We have a ways to go for sure. But the potential for eastern Ukraine splitting off via the Crimea route or as a separate federation within the Ukraine seems to be more likely IMHO.

Davy, Hermann, MO on Sun, 4th May 2014 8:03 am 



PY said – My conclusion is: Its two mega-evils battling each others. Neither have remorse, net intelligence nor decency.

Exactly Peakyeast, those of you bashing the US (rightly) need a little balance. Russia is world class in the same kind of activity the US is practicing. I will be fair to the Russians this is at their doorstep so they have the right and motivation to shape events. It is definitely a win for the US leadership and or US mafia oligarchs by destabilizing Russia and preoccupying her for years economically and politically. Is this good for the a global world at limits of growth facing diminishing returns with a population in overshoot to carrying capacity with a dysfunctional global financial system, Hell No! We are talking a “black swan” event that will destabilize this already fragile predicament we are in if continues into new and greater escalations.

Makati1 on Sun, 4th May 2014 8:31 am 



Rock, I also think that Russia will gain the Eastern part of Ukraine eventually. I suspect Putin is waiting for the new election date (May 25) to pass and see what happened. THEN the decision will be made to take control. At that time, I will be out of the States and away from any blow back from the Empire’s stupidity.

Davey on Sun, 4th May 2014 10:40 am 



Yea, Mak, a move that will suck Russia into the black hole of long term commitment to a hornets nest. Good luck Puuts. This will be his Waterloo.

Makati1 on Sun, 4th May 2014 11:05 am 



As I said before, there are 7+ billion of us now and that means 7+ billion different views of the world, based on our observations and experience. Your’s seems to be that of a narrow minded back-hills, flag waving patriot. Long rants don’t make you right nor does your once being in the 1% make you intelligent. If my comments on the worl bother you, don’t read them. Simple isn’t it?

Davey on Sun, 4th May 2014 11:14 am 



Sure Mak back at your PPI self with the same logic

MSN fanboy on Sun, 4th May 2014 11:53 am 



Makati: “Your’s seems to be that of a narrow minded back-hills, flag waving patriot”

Yes you do realise the hypocrisy in your statement? lol

Your guilty of the same acts on the other side of the fence.

To give an impartial opinion is to sit atop the fence and see “Its two mega-evils battling each other.”

It never ceases to amaze me how you hold two opposing views at the same time 😀 keep it up Makati1

GregT on Sun, 4th May 2014 11:54 am 



So when the Maidan warriors were in Kiev, burning down government buildings with Molotov cocktails, and beating democratically elected government officials with baseball bats, why were they not considered to be insurgents?

The gas queen, Yulia Tymoshenko, who had been incarcerated for siphoning billions of dollars from the Ukrainian people, is released from prison, and now all of a sudden is backed by the ‘west’ in the race for the presidency?

The puppet government installed by the west is legitimate, while the formerly democratically elected government is ousted, sanctioned, and illegitimate?

Anyone paying attention as this mess has unfolded, should have seen where this was all going. The west wanted a war on Russia’s doorstep. The question remains as to exactly why?

Let’s just hope, for the sake of millions of innocent people, that TPTB aren’t really trying to start yet another world wide war, like they have done twice in the past already.

Davey on Sun, 4th May 2014 12:05 pm 



Greg, tptb in US want Putin’s neck directly or indirectly. Putin has been a thorn in their side so now it is payback. Putin is heading for an entanglement that will occupy him for years. It is a dangerous gamble by western PTB. One with status quo BAU hanging in the balance.

GregT on Sun, 4th May 2014 12:19 pm 



Too bad we couldn’t ship all of these assholes to Antarctica, and let them kill each other off.

I’m sick and tired of all the wars, the death, the destruction, and human misery.

diemos on Sun, 4th May 2014 12:22 pm 



The news is always the same. Only the names and dates and places change. That’s because human nature never changes.

DC on Sun, 4th May 2014 1:29 pm 



And as the united states of tyranny lights fires around the world, THEN keeps throwing gas-o-leen on them just to see what happens, the Joker-in-Chief sits at a black tie event in the ‘capital’ and cracks jokes with the cream of the corporate media arselickers, sorry ‘elites’,-most of the(jokes) in very poor taste.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-president-pokes-fun-at-cnn-over-extensive-missing-jet-coverage-1.2631376

Davey on Sun, 4th May 2014 2:54 pm 



I agree with you DC. The back tie US corporate political mafia party is a pathetic example of entropic human organization at a maximum of stupidity and ignorance. Yet, Deec, they sure did throw cold water on macho Puut and his kable gang of thieves. Looks like basket case Russia has more problems on its plate….like that wasn’t enough!