Russia declares war on Ukraine. Live updates from inside Ukraine

originally posted by: Whereismypassword
That report had no scope to look at maidan activities up to feb time and government activities up to April:-/

What in the hell it is a report about? Russian activists in east Ukraine ? Very one sided

Will read it all later

It only covers March 2014 thru April 2014 and if I remember right it was done at the request of Ukraine because Russia kept demanding it.

In response to the invitation issued on 3 March 2014 on behalf of the Government
of Ukraine to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) concerning a Human
Rights Assessment Mission (HRAM) to Ukraine, we are pleased to inform you that the
HRAM has concluded its work with the enclosed Report on the Human Rights and
Minority Rights Situation. The Report has assessed the human rights and minority rights
situation in Ukraine against the backdrop of the developments at the time.
The HRAM conducted by ODIHR established that a number of serious human
rights violations occurred during the reporting period. As a rule, these violations did not
precede but rather accompanied and followed the emergence of various armed groups, first
and foremost in Crimea and eastern and southern Ukraine. The targets were primarily proMaidan
activists and journalists.

Specifically -

2. This section of the report presents the findings and recommendations of
ODIHR concerning the human rights situation in Ukraine. It is based on the
ODIHR HRAM fieldwork from 6 March – 1 April 2014, which took place
against the backdrop of events in Kyiv from November 2013 to February
2014. At the time the HRAM concluded its fieldwork, an escalation of
tensions, including violent conflicts, had taken place in the eastern and
southern parts of Ukraine.

It must, therefore, be stressed that the assessment
of Maidan events in Kyiv up to February 2014, and the subsequent and
ongoing developments and events in Ukraine after 1 April 2014, remain
beyond the scope of this report.

originally posted by: sosobad
Ukraine: EU Hits Russia With New Sanctions

The European Union has imposed new sanctions on leading Russians as part of attempts to pressure Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

news.sky.com...

And as we both know, we the sheeple are led to believe these sanctions are meant to be positives.You know, to get Russia to back down under this pressure. Such assumptions are foolish.The intention is the complete opposite in reality, it is to bait, trap and paint Russia into a corner, thus to provoke them to come out fighting.While the false accusers look squeeky clean and can go, see bad Russia.We told you so. Russia could bend over backwards to entertain these demands, yet the U.S and Company wont backdown and would continue their smear campaign ( you know, the one that started even before the Olympics [remember that, it's important]).
Russia is damned if the do and damned don't. Right now the chess players are just giving the marble players enough rope to hang themselves.They will react soon enough.Becareful what you wish for U.S and friends.I know it's frustrating, but you will reap what you have sown soon enough.Patients, it's comming. Just when you least expect it.

EU policy to blame for Ukraine crisis - Ex-Chancellor Schroeder

Germany’s former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has blamed European Union policy for the current situation in Ukraine and urged the West to stop focusing on new sanctions against Russia.

In Schroeder’s opinion, the EU’s fundamental mistake - that subsequently led to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine – was its association policy, he said in an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag published Sunday.

Brussels “ignored” Ukraine’s deep cultural division between traditionally pro-European western regions and Russia-leaning regions in the east, the former chancellor said.

Kiev, however, had to pick either an association with the EU or a Customs Union with Russia, Schroeder said. He suggested that it could have been more reasonable if the former Soviet republic was offered an alternative when it could do both.

Asked whether it was the corrupt system and government in Ukraine that led to the unrest, Schroeder agreed that that was also true, but, at the same time, Yanukovich came to office through a free election.

Initially, protests in Ukraine began in November, after President Viktor Yanukovich put on hold the signing of the association agreement with the EU, because, as he explained, at that moment it would be against national interests.

rt.com...

Ukraine: flawed exercise
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe needs to hold Geneva II talks as soon as possible


Editorial
The Guardian, Monday 12 May 2014 18.02 EDT
Jump to comments (382)
Events in Ukraine took an even darker turn on Sunday when ballots were held in two provinces, Donetsk and Luhansk. The Russian separatist organizers claimed 86% voted for some form of self-rule in Donetsk and 96% in Luhansk. On the back of these results, some of them called for union with Russia.

As an exercise in democracy, this was seriously flawed. There were no neutral international observers, the wording on ballot papers was obscure, electoral rolls were dispensed with, allowing voters only to show ID. The biggest problem was turnout. Organizers claimed 75%, which was clearly untrue. In Mariupol, second-biggest city in the Donetsk region, with a population of half a million, international reporters found only four polling stations open.

www.theguardian.com...

a reply to: 13th Zodiac

Becareful what you wish for U.S and friends.I know it's frustrating, but you will reap what you have sown soon enough.Patients, it's comming. Just when you least expect it.

Please be more specific. What do you expect to happen?

burisma.com...

Burisma Holdings, Ukraine’s largest private gas producer, has expanded its Board of Directors by bringing on Mr. R Hunter Biden as a new director.

R. Hunter Biden will be in charge of the Holdings’ legal unit and will provide support for the Company among international organizations. On his new appointment, he commented: “Burisma’s track record of innovations and industry leadership in the field of natural gas means that it can be a strong driver of a strong economy in Ukraine. As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company on matters of transparency, corporate governance and responsibility, international expansion and other priorities will contribute to the economy and benefit the people of Ukraine.”

Looks like his father's visit to Ukraine in April wasn't a total waste of time then.

Moscow to ban US from using Russian rochet engines for military launches
rt.com...

originally posted by: MessageforAll
Moscow to ban US from using Russian rochet engines for military launches
rt.com...

They can't ban that because we embargo that first! The sanctions war is starting to get a bit silly.

a reply to: DJW001

i see,

Some news :

With another day left until the 48-hour "leave or face war" deadline imposed by the newly-independent regions of Ukraine, Interfax is reporting:

*SIX UKRAINE SOLDIERS KILLED, 8 INJURED AFTER CONVOY ATTACK: IFX
*ATTACK ON UKRAINIAN ARMY CONVOY NEAR SEPARATIST-HELD SLOVYANSK
This follows earlier concerns from Germany's Schaeuble who said he "can imagine" a worsening of the Ukraine crisis.

a reply to: MessageforAll


I am afraid that the separatists, many of whom were also neo-Nazis in their youth, are about to get more aggressive, using the bogus poll as a "mandate from the people" to justify their violence.

And now this:

Prague, May 12 (ČTK) — Forty percent of Czechs fear Russia may pose a threat to the sovereignty of Central European countries in the next 10 years, according to a Median agency's poll focusing on the crisis in Ukraine and released by daily Mladá fronta Dnes (MfD) today.

praguepost.com...

originally posted by: Imhere
POST REMOVED BY STAFF

Not sure what is so funny. I would say the Czechs have a pretty legitimate historical reason for their fear.

Just saw this article today:
Europe's Russian Nightmare Is Starting To Come True

"There’s a palpable fear throughout Eastern Europe that the Russian government no longer respects the borders of Europe, the map of Europe, that it will unilaterally change the borders of its neighbors on the pretext whether of defending minority rights, restoring law and order, or whatever it is, in order to try to expand its influence and expand its control over parts of territories of neighboring countries,"

Interesting video from VICE..



Why are they so worried about someone filming the voting if they aren't worried about something being seen that shouldn't be.

I would think if this was on the up and up they would welcome journalists there to see how well the voting went.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s youngest son, Hunter, has been appointed head of legal affairs at Ukraine’s largest private gas producer. Read more: p.washingtontimes.com... Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

p.washingtontimes.com...

a reply to: woodwardjnr

To add:

This guy

Will be in charge of will be in charge of the Holdings’ legal unit and will provide support for the Company among international organizations. On his new appointment, he commented: “Burisma’s track record of innovations and industry leadership in the field of natural gas means that it can be a strong driver of a strong economy in Ukraine. As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company on matters of transparency, corporate governance and responsibility, international expansion and other priorities will contribute to the economy and benefit the people of Ukraine.”

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Burisma Holdings, Mr. Alan Apter, noted: “The company’s strategy is aimed at the strongest concentration of professional staff and the introduction of best corporate practices, and we’re delighted that Mr. Biden is joining us to help us achieve these goals.”

www.zerohedge.com...

Looks like Russia won't allow the USA to use its rocket engines and all we need now is for China to stop lending the USA money and the war will need to be put back a few more years so american tax payers can stup up some more cash.

Even western press are now having to admit that the recnt vote in the east of the Ukraine was fair but I bet that won't stop some here from pointing out that a granny who loves Kiev didn't get a chance to vote because her wheel chair had a flat whilst forgetting that the army shot three voters dead.

Putin now has a legitimate mandate from the east of the Ukraine to come in and protect them, he's been asked so lets not get upset if he does just what the russian public is calling for him to do but in the mean time I am still saying that this is a phony wa and is being used as an excuse to push oil prices up in a vain attempt to make both side rich.

a reply to: dragonridr

I am still waiting for an answer from you or I will have to conclude that you got caught out again

originally posted by: DJW001

I am afraid that the separatists, many of whom were also neo-Nazis in their youth, are about to get more aggressive, using the bogus poll as a "mandate from the people" to justify their violence.

Do you watch the news ?

I have to ask because it seem that once again you have got your facts a little twisted again and these protestors come separatists or terrorists as they are now being called are being tageted by neo-Nazis and in fact the nazis locked 48 of these so called terrorists in a building and burnt them to death.

"neo-Nazis" Yeah in your dream mate but I can see you don't like voting from your comments so maybe if they just shot everyone like the Kiev thugs did then they would not need a vote would they now.

a reply to: MessageforAll

Watch this carefully this is the 2nd step for crimea losing all rights to off shore drilling first was the EU sanctioning making it impossible for them to attempt off shore drilling.

I guess something is changing Russias mind as to moving forward in Ukraine?

Russia Keeps Its Distance After Ukraine Secession Referendums
By NEIL MacFARQUHARMAY 12, 2014

www.nytimes.com...