Category Corruption Codel

Mar 24 2022

Should we Cheer for Putin to Lose?


Armstrong Economics Blog/Russia Re-Posted Mar 24, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

While the Neocon strategy of DEMONIZING an adversary as they have done to Putin, the very same strategy was used to get people to absolutely hate Donald Trump. The more someone hates Trump still, the more susceptible they are to simple techniques of mind manipulation. This has led many to cheer for the Ukrainians to defeat Russians and we have the White House calling Putin a War Criminal when you could say the same thing about the US leaders that started the endless saga of wars on false pretenses or took out civils with drones when they wrongly thought they were terrorists.

The White House appears to be under the influence of the Neocons who just always advocate war. Make no mistake about it, these Neocons are not confined to just the Democrats or Republicans. They share a love for war and the hatred of everyone they perceive to be an enemy. It’s tempting to think that Putin will suffer a defeat and democracy could revive in Russia, but a more likely scenario is total world chaos. Russia is also comprised of Muslims who number about 14 million or roughly 10% of the total population. Then there are different cultures and you will see internal chaos and separatist movements armed with nukes.

Putin is not a fool and he is actually honoring his word. He is not trying to conquer Ukraine. His column of tanks had stopped as a show of force and intimidation. He has not ordered just total annihilation. The US strategy is we go in and flatten everything targeting water and power grid. Put took the power station but did not turn off the power. The West portrays this as Putin is stalled and the Ukrainians could defeat the Russians. But this seems to be propaganda all designed to wear down the moral of the Russian troops and sway public opinion for Ukraine.

While the press also portrays that Putin’s nation has now been subjected to an isolation greater than any nation has ever experienced by any major power in history, it was US sanctions to cut off the fuel to Japan that caused them to attack Pearl Harbor. There were later even Congressional investigations into FDR and did he deliberately try to create a situation to get the USA into World War II. Congress simply said the allegations were inconclusive.

Since late February, Russia has been hit with punishing economic, trade and financial sanctions. Putin struck back and said all energy sales to unfriendly nations will now be in Rubles. Saudi Arabia also agreed with China to sell oil in Yuan. These are historically critical events that have torn the world economy asunder. There will NEVER BE A RETURN TO NORMAL.

So while the Western Press cheers and reports that Russia is careering toward a debt default, they forget that the default will be on the West. A very rapid technological decoupling is also underway dividing the world economy and that will threaten free trade and the end of economic growth. Indeed, US GDP Growth rate peaked in real terms.

The mass withdrawal of American firms from Russia will have a profoundly negative impact moving forward and the world economy is shrinking rapidly. Russia isn’t some weak power like Iraq. Russia is a major power whose population was, until recently, deeply connected to its larger global environment. The White House thinks that Russians will blame Putin rather than Biden. Eastern European states like Serbia and in the Middle East are looking at the United States as the problem being arrogant and interfering in everyone else’s affairs. It is without question that the United States has declare war on Russia. This is how World War II began with countries attacking one another in the financial markets.

So while the Neocons lick their lips at the thought of overturning Putin and controlling Russia before they turn on China, they are clearly not looking long-term. They took out Saddam Hussein who kept the religious zealots in their place. Once he was removed, the Middle East saw the rise of ISIS. The US has been covertly funding the Ukrainian Nazis to keep up their fight against Donbass.

Let us may no mistake here. The Neocons pushed and funded through the CIS the Taliban for then they were the anti-Soviet resistance. The CIA Special Activities Division sent paramilitary officers to equip the Mujihadeen forces against the Soviet Army. The US therefore funded Taliban mainly to assist in ending the Soviet’s occupation in Afghanistan. However, the Neocons can never think past the end of their nose. They have no long-term strategies, only win what is immediately in front of them. The taliban benefited from expanded foreign military support from the United States. They then used that training against US troops who were in search of terrorists from 911.

The foolish view among the Neocons is they think bringing Democracy to the Middle East or now to Russia and China will somehow make them friends or stable is an absolute joke. The idea of creating a “Moscow Spring” by punishing the Russian people until they do what the CIS and Neocons demand does not make the costs of conflict lead worth it. Marx brought his ideas and it cost over 200 million lives to install communism. America is hated for its interference by the Neocons in many circles.

Both China and Russia have American arrogance as a common enemy and the Russian or Chinese people will not send them flowers and Xmas cards thanking them for destroy everything they have built since 1989. However, RELIABLE sources in the Middle East, the UAE, Egypt and even Israel are angry over Biden’s sanctions. Yet the Neocons claim that total isolation forced regime change in South Africa. However, they also had no military power to fight back. That is like claiming a fight is fair with one kid has a rubber band and the other a baseball bat.

Somebody in Washington needs to start thinking strategically and realistically about this endeavor to isolate Russia for all that is unfolding at a rapid rate is the disintegration of the world economy. In 1989, then President George H.W. Bush understood there were serious risks with the collapse of the Soviet Union and Communism. Russia is big and powerful enough that its role in the world economy is vital to the overall health of the international order . The US NEEDS Russia as an economic friend not and adversary for nobody will win with that result.

The Western propaganda is that Russia and China represent authoritarian rule. However, Western governments are no better. Sure, we have elections but then the candidate arrives in Washington and they are told they will vote according to the Party Agenda rendering the image of free elections only just that. In Europe, the people do not vote for the Commission which makes the laws nor for the head of state. We do not live in a Democracy for the people never are allowed to vote on an issue like war or peace.

The likelihood of Putin being overthrown and Democracy is sudden born has less than a zero change of ever being correct.

Mar 24 2022

It’s Not Just Energy – It’s Also Metals


Armstrong Economics Blog/Base Metals Re-Posted Mar 24, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The outrageous sanctions imposed by Biden on Russia has undermined the entire world economy. Sanctions have never worked and this time they were designed to try to hurt the Russian people so profoundly that they would overthrow Putin. The Ukrainians are even naming Alexander Bortnikov, the Russian Director of the Federal Security Service and a member of Putin’s inner circle, as a successor to the president. Bortnikov has come out and said that Stalin’s Great Purge was necessary whereas Putin rejected Lenin. Be careful what you wish for, as they say.

Stickers are showing up plastered all over gasoline pumps throughout the USA despite Biden trying to blame Putin for his the disruption to the world economy. The US had no national security issue at risk with either Crimea nor DonBass. The Neocons just hate Putin and have used Ukraine as a proxy war toy to get at Putin. Even in Poland the government is pushing for war. Europe desperately needs war for 8.6 years of NEGATIVE interest rates has wiped out pension funds. NY banks will no longer lend against European sovereign debt. They cannot fund the governments any longer and the central bank cannot buy their debt endlessly. The only solution that they see is to default under the pretense of the Great Reset so they NEED war as the diversion with a new Bretton Woods.

But Biden’s sanctions have gone far beyond just energy. Nickel is a vital for it is the largest component in stainless steel production. Alloy steel is also called special steel. Nickel can increase the strength of the alloy and maintain its good plasticity and toughness. Then nickel is also used in the field of batteries, mainly nickel-hydrogen batteries, chromium-nickel batteries, and nickel-manganese batteries. Lastly, very fine nickel powder is often used as a catalyst in the chemical industry. Hence, nickel is vital and it goes beyond just the coins in your pocket which at these prices will be worth more in metal content soon enough.

Yet these sanctions that Biden swore would target only Russia, have disrupted the entire world and not just energy. Tsingshan Holding Group is a major producer of Nickel and it sold hedging position forward to secure its production. But prices doubled thanks to Biden and Tsingshan tried to buy back its hedging positions and that has set off a collapse of the Nickel market in London. Nickel was already breaking out thanks to COVID restrictions. Then the Biden Russian sanctions were insane and you can see the drastic price rally as Tsingshan tried to buy back its hedge.

Nickel prices began to soar after Biden’s sanction on Russia. The rally became a crisis for the LME as producers such as Tsingshan’s brokers desperately tried to buy those nickel contracts back causing a near 70% rise in a single session to stem losses and avoid escalating margin calls. The trading became erradic as brokers kept trying to cover short hedged positions. Hedge funds and other participants were frantically buying nickel, which only propelled the market even higher. Nickel prices had more than doubled reaching more than $100,000 a metric ton.

The LME was sent into crisis. Several smaller brokers were saying they would default at the 9 a.m. margin call if prices stayed at those levels. The LME was forced to suspend the market shortly after 8 a.m. local time or suffer a catastropiuc collapse of the exchange. The brokers could not meet the expected margin calls. Thus, the LME adopted the drastic step of canceling trades that took place before the suspension. They is said to have wiped out $3.9 billion in transactions. Of course, the hedge funds were furious for they were looking a huge unrealized profits. Because of the sudden price shock, the LME had no choice but to suspend trading in hopes that the brokers would collect the funds from their clients. However, the decision to wipe out trades that took place in a free market in good faith is really unprecedented and has shaken the confidence in free markets.

It may be true that the suspension and the canceled trades to settle the catastrophic damage to the free markets created by the Biden sanctions has prevented a near-term collapse of the LME. However, failing to do so may have brought down the entire exchange ending the market where producers can hedge forward.

Tsingshan still owes its brokers, which included JPMorgan, Standard Chartered and BNP as well as a unit of state-owned China Construction Bank Corp. The demand for cash to settle margin calls for a hedger who has sold future production presents a serious crisis. There are serious questions being raised if the price seen in this spike truly reflects the shortage in the supply or just an aberition created by a short-term panic.

Ironically, it was the great expanse of China’s economy which drove Nickel to $54200 a metric ton back in 2007. Nevertheless, where our computer has been bullish on Nickel and it elected even the third Quarterly Bullish Reversal at the end of the 3rd quarter 2021. There was no way the market was heading lower. Clearly, those in charge of hedging were calling the shots from an opinion perspective – not quantitative. For early 2021, Tsingshan began to accumulate a short position. It made statements on its website reflecting its view that the Nickel market was flush and prices should decline. Tsingshan’s short hedge position was equivalent to having sold about 190,000 metric tons on the LME. That would be worth $9.1 billion based on closing prices.

The forecasting view of Tsingshan regarding Nickel is just unfounded. Our model showed that we would start to see a rise in 2022 in price volatility but this is continuing into 2024. The price high may not arrive until 2023 and we may be looking at a new record. This is just another domino in the future of the world economy that just fell over. These Biden Sanctions are not going to be reversed and the pride of politicians is now threatening the entire world economy.

You have not made any comment about the LME Nickel market. In my opinion, this is onether chip of the domino falling which comes to confirm that the collapse of the West is in motion. The loss at Tsingshan is said to be about $8 billion. I have been called in to similar crisis where major corporations have lost billions due to improper hedging. This amount is staggering and clearly reflects that the firm has totally incompetent people in charge of hedging who may be listening to bankers and fundamentals rather than the markets.

Mar 24 2022

Putin puts Biden’s King in Check


Armstrong Economics Blog/Euro € Re-Posted Mar 23, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The absolute stupidity of those in the Biden Administration will go down in history as probably the dumbest ever in the history of the world, not just the United States. Besides disrupting energy supplies, and subjecting the world to a shortage of wheat when Russia and Ukraine represent 30% of the world exports, Biden’s sheer stupidity in just reading what his staff of climate zealots tell him is beyond belief. There is a crisis unfolding even in base metals like nickel.

Removing Russian banks from SWIFT but leaving the energy intact so Europe has power, was so brilliant they obviously never played chess. Putin just put Biden’s king in check by ordering Europe to pay for gas now in Rubles. That will provide support for the Ruble, and undermine Europe and its Euro as well as the dollar in the long run.

First of all, when Biden freezes all of Russia’s reserves, why would you continue to get paid in dollars that Biden could freeze? That makes no sense. This is why I warned that using SWIFT as a political tool would destroy the world economy. There is no putting this back together again. The foundation of TRUST has been lost.

What I would do if I were Putin is to create a two-tier monetary system like South Africa once had with the Financial Rand and Domestic Rand. What I would do to put Biden in Checkmate would be to back ONLY the domestic Ruble with gold to restore confidence among the Russian people, but leave the Ruble float for international transactions – the opposite of what FDR did in 1934.

Biden has destroyed the world economy. This is so devastating going forward, that what comes post-2032 when the world economy finally crashes and burns because of these idiots, there will be a whole new regime change on a global scale.

Mar 24 2022

The Laptop from Hell


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Mar 23, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Ihor Kolomoisky is the Oligarch who funded Zelensky and put him in a position to be president. However, this is the very same Kolomoisky who had a “controlling interest” in Burisma Holdings, that employed Hunter Biden as a board member for a widely reported salary of $50,000 per month. Russian media, quoted in State Department emails, referred to Burisma as “part of Kolomoisky’s financial empire.”

It was the same Kolomoisky who publicly said in 2019 that he REFUSED to cooperate with efforts by President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to get his help in investigating Hunter Biden and Burisma. House Democrats’ impeachment report on Trump also cited the incident in late 2019 as grounds for impeachment.

Emails from 2015, published last year by the New York Post, show a Kolomoisky protege communicated with Hunter Biden about a meeting between the protege and Joe Biden, then vice president under President Barack Obama. Then court filings from 2019 by a private investigatory firm alleged that legally obtained bank records of Hunter Biden show payments to him from the Kolomoisky-owned PrivatBank.

The REAL character of Zelensky is revealed in his actions. As soon as he became President. Volodymyr Zelensky decided to fire Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk and several leading reformers. Ukraine paid a heavy price for the move in capital outflows and soaring borrowing costs. There was talk of Zelensky finally breaking with leading oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, but that never took place.

Kolomoisky’s supporters initially prevented a second reading of the banking bill through “legislative spam”, the proposal of thousands of frivolous amendments. Zelensky used COVID to distract people concerning reforms. There was no major effort to make the IMF-backed reforms. The IMF dropped its effort of the long-term Extended Funding Facility for Ukraine to encourage reform to a new policy of a smaller, short-term Stand-By Arrangement, which is confined to budgetary support. Zelensky could have just fired Honcharuk. But instead, he gradually picked off nearly all the ministers who had reputations as reformers. Everything he promised was never carried out. Instead of solving the Donebass dispute, he promoted joining NATO and deliberately antagonized Putin.

All the promises of reforms wooed the European Union, but there was no substance. There were rising concerns that Zelensky was actually selling out to the very people who had run the country under Yanukovich and many saw this as a confirmation that Zelensky was in hock to Kolomoisky. Zelensky never distanced himself from Kolomoisky. In fact, during the election, Igor Valeriyovych told Igor Oleksiyovych that working for Poroshenko was in vain. Kolomoisky allegedly said to Igor Hryniv: “My boy and my girl will be there in the second round anyway”, referring to Yuliya Tymoshenko and Volodymyr Zelensky. Nevertheless, the Kyiv Post reported the allegations that Kolomoisky was behind the release of a tape of Honcharuk mocking Zelensky’s economic knowledge.

Kolomoisky pushed hard for compensation for the nationalization of PrivatBank – which he co-owned until 2016 when the government took control of it due to the $5.6 billion hole in its balance sheet. But the real economic payback appeared to occur elsewhere, as the government showered debt and delivery favors on the Kolomoisky-controlled Ukrnafta and Centrenergo. The government opened corruption cases but seemed to concentrate on Kolomoisky’s enemies from the National Bank of Ukraine and the interlinked leadership of the Investment Capital of Ukraine, often dubbed “[Petro] Poroshenko’s bank”, after the former president.

Here we have Hunter Biden taking money from Kolomoisky who just so happens to be the backer of Zelensky. Biden then hands Zelensky $13.6 billion in aid to fight off the evil Putin. I seriously doubt that money will go to aid Ukrainians.

The corruption in Ukraine is so bad, it may even rank as the #1 black hole in the entire world. When will the West wake up?

Mar 11 2022

The Hatred & Stupidity of Politicians


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Mar 10, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Britain and Europe are flirting now with the same actions the US took during World War II – they are coming dangerously close to now creating internment camps for Russians based solely upon their nationality. Britain froze billions of Russian oligarchs’ assets and issued travel bans effectively coming close to creating imprisonment. The Chelsea Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, Oleg Deripaska, and five other Russian “oligarchs” which are now defined as anyone with money, who are worth £15 billion, have been banned from entering the country by the UK for having “blood on their hands.”

The British government has announced sanctions against Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and six other oligarchs and Secretary of State Liz Truss said the “blood of the Ukrainian people” is on the hands of those associated with Putin.

The stupidity of politicians like Truss is just off the charts. They live in a fantasy world where they think this is a one-sided game and they are demigods of unlimited power. Russia can simply;y seize all Russian assets held by foreigners. These morons are clueless as to the COMPLEXITY that exists in the world economy. When Russia fell into the hands of the Communists, that ended trade with the West. Russia became isolated but its own choice and thus there was a wave of shortages and economic crisis that swept through Europe. Europeans were forced to turn to America for food and the cost of importing food from great distances led to civil unrest, rising tempers, and that all combined into World War II.

This is the worst possible crop of world leaders I think in human history. Even in Japan, they have suddenly banned ponytails on girls because they excite some men sexually. I suppose they never looked at people having all sorts of different fetishes. They say a foot fetish is very common. So perhaps all feet must be covered and then what is next – burkas because just the sight of a girl may excite a boy?

Welcome to the world of Political Insanity. There seems to be no end in sight. It is politicians who have the blood of billions who have died in the name of their wars over the last 6,000 years. In Hitler’s speech declaring war on the United States he motivated the crowd saying:

“In September 1939 I assured you that neither force nor arms nor time would overcome Germany. I will assure my enemies that neither force of arms nor time nor any internal doubts, can make us waver in the performance of our duty.”

It is always the politicians who spill the blood of society. This is by no means a one-sided event. There is blame that history will attribute to all sides.

Mar 10 2022

Russia Demands US Explain Bio Labs in Ukraine


Posted originally on The Charlie Kirk Show  Published March 9, 2022 

Mar 10 2022

Food Riots & Civil Unrest


Armstrong Economics Blog/Civil Unrest Re-Posted Mar 10, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Thank you for sharing your views. I am in Iraq. I flew to Athens to see you speak there a couple of years ago. I understand you try to provide your best interpretation of what the computer is forecasting. Here in Iraq, there are food riots starting to take place. Is this one of the fundamentals behind the computer’s forecast of rising civil unrest globally?

AC

ANSWER: Yes, I remember you. The computer has shown that this would be a cycle in commodities from 2020.05 into 2024 but it clarified this would be caused by shortages rather than a speculative boom. Simultaneously, it projected a rise in war and civil unrest simultaneously during this cycle. Those forecasts have been correct and I doubt anyone can argue against that fact.

I do try my personal best to interpret it correctly. I too am only human which is why I try to distinguish my opinion from the forecast. Because this cycle is a combination of war and commodity shortages that were set in motion by COVID, the risk of the Ukrainian war escalating out of control is serious.

The fact that the Pentagon refused to allow Poland to send jets and has refused to provide a no-fly zone despite the nonsense Zelensky, implies to me the US military is not trying to start WWIII despite all the stupid actions coming from Biden & co. Ukraine and Russia supply 30% of the world grain supply and the bulk of that goes to the Middle East. The longer this war goes on, the greater the food disturbances and that will only feed into continuous riots.

We need to follow the money trail behind Zelensky to get to the truth. He does not give up on trying to start WWIII. The question is why? Anyone with has a brain understands that if NATO grant any of his requests, then we are in an all-out war and China will be with Russia. That is not a happy ending.

Mar 10 2022

Trudeau’s Approval Rating Hits 12-Month Low


Armstrong Economics Blog/Canada Re-Posted Mar 10, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Justin Trudeau was hoping the war in Ukraine would distract Canadians from the war he inflicted domestically upon his own people. Trudeau enacted the Emergencies Powers for the first time in history in order to behave like a dictator to silence free speech. Anyone who still believes he is a man of the people needs a brain scan. Trudeau does not have a leg to stand on to condemn Putin when he too jailed the opposition, journalists, and anyone who supported their plight. He showed his inability to behave like a leader by hiding from the protestors and implementing the harshest penalties by law instead of facing them like a man.

It is no wonder that nearly half of Canadians (47%) now have a worse impression of Trudeau, according to a Nanos Research survey. His image as the young empathetic leader has shattered – mask off. A separate survey by Angus Reid Institute found that 65% of Canadians polled believe Trudeau’s response worsened the already tense situation between the government and Freedom Convoy protestors.

Trudeau embarrassed Canada on the international stage, with numerous world leaders condemning his actions that were the definition of hypocrisy. He upset his own Parliament and insisted that anyone who disagreed with him was a Nazi sympathizer. The prime minister thought it was simply a “fringe minority” who opposed government mandates. He assumed he could easily impose the will of Schwab on the people to begin the Great Reset. The protest may have ended after three weeks, but the long-term effect the truckers have had on Trudeau’s image is seared in the minds of Canadians.

Mar 10 2022

American Heart Association Warns About Vaccines


Armstrong Economics Blog/Disease Re-Posted Mar 10, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

American Heart Association:

“We conclude that the mRNA vacs dramatically increase inflammation on the endothelium and T cell infiltration of cardiac muscle and may account for the observations of increased thrombosis, cardiomyopathy, and other vascular events following vaccination.”

This statement was labeled by Twitter as “unsafe.” I suppose that Twitter is run by heart surgeons now. This seems to be a simple agenda. Force mandatory vaccines to justify international COVID passports that the World Health Organization is introducing thanks to Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation — the two most concerned about over-population. The advice coming from Fauci who claims he himself is SCIENCE, which amounts to trying to interpret Nostradamus or reading tea leaves. Why is Twitter so intent on supporting ONLY fake news? There is just nobody on our side at all anymore.

Mar 10 2022

Comment from Inside Ukraine & Lack of Peacemakers


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Mar 9, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

COMMENT: Dear Martin,
In addition to the 4 demands listed in your blog “Putin offers peace…” there is a fifth; Ukraine must repeal its “Ukrainian only” law and accept Russian as an equal official language. About 50% of all of Ukraine’s population has Russian as their mother tongue. Most of them are ethnic Russians or of mixed Russian and Ukrainian origin. The Ukrainians would probably continue to create an apartheid state if any agreement with them doesn’t give the Russian-speaking citizens iron-clad guarantees ensuring equal social, cultural, linguistic, and political rights with the ethnic Ukrainians.
Yours Sincerely,
BH, MSc

REPLY: Zelensky is by no means a hero. People really need to understand the history of Ukraine which is really a modern nation-state. Nevertheless, Zelensky’s language law is indeed intended to create discord rather than unite the people much like the BLM movement to separate and divide which the West also carried out between the vaxed & unvaxed.

Despite all the hatred hurled at Putin, he is NOT trying to flatten Ukraine nor is he trying to conquer the nation-state. His airforce could flatten Ukraine and probably win the war in a matter of days. Even the Economist has noticed the absence of the Russian airforce. When Putin stated he wanted to defeat the Nazis of Ukraine, most people never heard of them but they were part of the German Nazis but were never prosecuted only because the West used them against Russia.

The Ukrainian Nazis followed the philosophy of ethnic cleansing of Stepan Bandera  (1909-1959) a leader in the OUN nationalist Ukrainian movement where they exterminated Poles, Jews, and Russians. The Nazi Ukrainians executed up to 200,000 Jews but were exempted from prosecution.

Documents have surfaced that were previously classified that showed that the CIA protected the Ukrainian Nazis. By the British MI6 was the main agency using the Nazis despite the warning of the CIA.

There is another side to Ukraine that is not being told. From many real sources, all I hear is the image of Zelensky as a puppet is amazingly noticed by people with experience. Zelensky has put the people of Ukraine at risk for what he has been moving to tear up the Minsk Agreement. The press is raising him as a hero fighting the evil bear of Russia without any investigation whatsoever. Most of what is coming out from Zelensky’s side is propaganda. Putin is not flattening Ukraine as the West did in Iraq. His actions clearly do not display an intent to conquer and occupy Ukraine. The power grid is still up as is the water supply. Putin has not moved to take those down.

Russia is in firm control of the East which was the stated objective from the outset. Russia will most likely take the city of Odessa now because of the sanctions. Odessa supplies the world with Neo Gas needed for computer chip production. Because this city in southern Ukraine is considered the capital of a crucial element for manufacturing these computer chips, purified neon gas is critical and Russia can disrupt the technology of the West by taking Odessa.

There is much more to the story than the press is reporting for they only are putting out propaganda. I have Ukrainian friends from both sides – Kyiv and Donestk. Throughout my life, since I have lived in Europe as well as Asia, I have had both Russian and Ukrainian friends and we still keep in contact by email and text. I have understood the deep feelings on both sides. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, in July 1990 a declaration of sovereignty was passed by the Ukrainian parliament, and in August 1991 Ukraine was declared to be at last an independent nation-state. Leonid Kravchuk became the first president of Ukraine in December 1991. So when Putin says that the USSR created Ukraine, he does know his history.

Following the Minsk Agreement in 2015, Merkel thanked the other participants of the negotiations – French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. She said Poroshenko “did his utmost to stop the bloodshed,” in his country.

“Finally, even President Putin exerted pressure on the separatists, so that they would agree that as of midnight on Saturday night or Sunday morning, there is a ceasefire,” Merkel said, commenting on the results of the talks.

We should not be Cheering war like this is a sports or video game. If Russia was really near its downfall, then there is no risk in pushing the button. We desperately need a peacemaker. Biden still runs home to Delaware in the middle of a crisis. Harris is probably even worse than Biden. There is absolutely nobody in the West even willing to talk. All they do is spew hatred. This clearly suggests that they WANT war – not peace.

I would ask China to try to step in here and adopt the role of the peacemaker. There is no such person in the West and without one, full-blown war is rapidly approaching. Even the Bible talked about the peacemaker of where there are none today.

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

A List of measures to fulfill the Minsk Agreement

February 12, 2015

1. An immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine and its strict implementation starting at 0000 (Kyiv time) February 15, 2015.

2. The withdrawal of all heavy weapons by both parties at equal distances in order to create at least a 50 kilometer security zone for 100mm or larger caliber artillery systems, a 70 kilometer security zone for Grad multiple rocket launcher systems and a 140 kilometer security zone for the Tornado-S, Uragan, and Smerch multiple rocket launcher systems and Tochka (Tochka-U) tactical missile systems:

– for the Ukrainian troops: [withdrawal] from the actual contact line;

– for the military units of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine: [withdrawal] from the contact line in accordance with the Minsk memorandum of September 19, 2014

Withdrawal of aforementioned heavy weapons shall begin no later than the second day of the ceasefire and end within 14 days.

The OSCE will contribute to this process with the support of the Trilateral Contact Group.

3. Starting the first day of such withdrawal, ensuring the effective monitoring and verification by the OSCE of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons with the use of all necessary technical means, including satellites, UAVs, radar systems, etc.

4. On the first day after the withdrawal, to begin a dialogue on the procedures for holding local elections in accordance with Ukrainian law and the Law of Ukraine “On a temporary order of local government in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” as well as on the future regime of these areas, according to this Act.

Immediately, no later than 30 days from the date of signing of this document, to adopt a resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with the specification of a territory subject to the special regime in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On temporary order of local government in some regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions” based on the line set in a Minsk memorandum of September 19, 2014

5. To provide pardons and amnesties by the enactment of a law prohibiting prosecution and punishment of persons with regard to the events that took place in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

6. To ensure the release and exchange of hostages and illegally detained persons based on the principle of “all for all”. This process must be completed no later than the fifth day after the withdrawal.

7. To provide secure access, delivery, storage and distribution of humanitarian aid to the needy on the basis of an international mechanism.

8. Determination of the procedure for the full restoration of the socio-economic relations, including transactions of social payments, such as pensions and other payments (takings and income, timely payment of all utility bills, renewal of taxation within Ukraine’s legal framework).

To this end, Ukraine shall regain control over the segment of its banking system in conflict-affected areas, and an international mechanism to facilitate such transfers will probably be created.

9. Restoration of full control over the state border of Ukraine by Ukraine’s government throughout the whole conflict area, which should begin on the first day after the local elections and be completed after a comprehensive political settlement (local elections in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on the basis of the Law of Ukraine, and a constitutional reform) by the end of 2015, on condition of implementation of paragraph 11 – with consultations and in agreement with the representatives of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group.

10. The withdrawal of all foreign armed forces, military equipment, as well as mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine under the supervision of the OSCE. Disarmament of all illegal groups.

11. Conducting constitutional reform in Ukraine, with the new constitution coming into force by the end of 2015, providing for decentralization as a key element (taking into account the characteristics of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, agreed with representatives of these areas), as well as the adoption of the permanent legislation on the special status of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in accordance with the measures specified in Note [1], until the end of 2015. (See Notes)

12. On the basis of the Law of Ukraine “On temporary order of local government in individual areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions” the questions regarding local elections shall be discussed and agreed with the individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group. Elections will be held in compliance with the relevant standards of the OSCE with the monitoring by the OSCE ODIHR.

13. To intensify the activities of the Trilateral Contact Group, including through the establishment of working groups to implement the relevant aspects of the Minsk Agreement. They will reflect the composition of the Trilateral Contact Group.

Notes:

Such measures, in accordance with the Law “On the special order of local government in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” include the following:

– Exemption from punishment, harassment and discrimination of persons associated with the events that took place in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions;

– The right to self-determination with regard to language;

– Participation of local governments in the appointment of heads of prosecutors’ offices and courts in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions;

– The possibility for the central executive authorities to conclude agreements with the relevant local authorities on economic, social and cultural development of individual areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions;

– The state shall support socio-economic development of individual areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions;

– Assistance from the central government to cross-border cooperation between the individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and regions of the Russian Federation;

– The creation of people’s militia units [police] upon the decision of local councils in order to maintain public order in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions;

– The powers of local council deputies and other officials elected in snap elections, appointed by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine according to this law, cannot be terminated.

The document is signed by the members of a Trilateral Contact Group:

[OSCE] Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini

Second President of Ukraine L.D. Kuchma

The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Ukraine M.Yu. Zurabov

A. V. Zakharchenko

I. V. Plotnitsky