June Update: Hunting for men in Ukraine, in the expectation of interminable EU candidacy

The catastrophe unfolding on the frontline in Ukraine and the stark realities behind the recently granted EU candidacy status | Dmitriy Kovalevich

topwar.ru

During June, Ukraine experienced the fourth month of the war, which has been marked by a sharp increase in the losses of Ukrainian military personnel. Estimates of the losses vary, but at the beginning of the month, President Zelensky said that 100 soldiers were being killed every day; while Mikhail Podolyak, the head of his Office, spoke of 200 being killed daily, and the head of the Zelensky ‘Servant of the people’ party faction, David Arakhamia, announced that about a thousand were killed and wounded daily.[1]

Ukraine, trapped in a spiral of war: Pierre de Gaulle

Napoleon silver Specimen Essai “Friendship” Medallic 2 Francs L’An IX (1801), by Tiolier.

The speech that follows was given by Pierre de Gaulle, the grandson of Charles de Gaulle, at the French Embassy in Paris, on June 14, 2022, to mark Russia Day. It is a speech that has been heavily censored in France, and we are happy to provide this English translation.

Mr. de Gaulle addresses the current Ukraine-Russia conflict by way of a blunt and brave denouncement of the French political elite who have succeeded in undermining the ideals of his grandfather who always sought the inclusion of Russia within Europe. The opening words of greetings Mr. de Gaulle made in Russian.

‘European Commonwealth’: Self-serving British proposal for another military bloc in Europe

NATO Madrid Summit and War Exercises in Asia Pacific | Hilary LeBlanc

May 21 demonstration at RAF Lakenheath, a US air force base, to protest against US nuclear weapons and nuclear bombers once again being brought to Britain.*

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to alleviate the post Brexit problems in which Britain is mired, is going all out to use the crisis in Ukraine to shore up British fortunes. Johnson proposed forming yet another military bloc which will reportedly include Ukraine, the UK, Poland, the Baltic States and possibly Turkey. The proposal, referred to as a “European Commonwealth,” was made during Johnson’s visit to Kiev in April, as “a new system of political, economic and military alliances — alternative to the European Union,” according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

NATO defence ministers make final preparations for Madrid Summit, June 29-30

NATO Madrid Summit and War Exercises in Asia Pacific | Steve Rutchinski

NATO defence ministers wrapped up two days of discussions on June 16, just a fortnight ahead of the NATO Strategic Concept Summit scheduled for June 29 and 30 in Madrid. Not a word was heard about finding a negotiated settlement to end hostilities in Ukraine or ways to lower the level of hostilities directed against Russia and China. Responsibility for elaborating that direction and for averting a wider war thus falls to the peoples of the world, especially those of NATO member countries. NATO must be stopped and disbanded for there to be peace and security.

Children’s checkpoints. Young Ukrainians are brought up with chauvinism and craving for robbery

We must cleanse from the hearts of children the blood-stained rust of this horrible and senseless war; we must restore to those hearts a faith in mankind and respect for it. – Maxim Gorky in a letter to H.G. Wells, December 1916

©nationalcorps.org

Children rehearse | Reuters photo used by The Globe and Mail to advocate sending more lethal weapons to Ukraine

The manipulation of the image of innocent children is pronounced in atrocity propaganda and disinformation to justify the NATO-provoked war in Ukraine. Journalist DMITRY KOVALEVICH* reports from the other side, about the proliferation of children’s checkpoints and their modus operandi.

Checkpoints in Ukraine are not uncommon. During Maidans or various troubles, patriotic citizens block roads and check everyone who enters or leaves the settlement. However, a special military operation of the Russian Federation gave rise to a new phenomenon in Ukraine – children’s checkpoints.

In the News*

July 13, 2022

Deep Roots of the Cuban Revolution

Playa Girón in July

For Cubans, the month of July is clearly synonymous with revolution. For this is the month with the glorious 26th, when José Martí was reborn to lead, from his immeasurably great legacy, Fidel and the entire generation that continued the irreversible path to Cuba’s full dignity. – Granma International [More]

Historic Electoral Victory in Colombia Buoys Hope for Peace

Congratulations to the Colombian People!

Colombians who over and over again have had their hopes for peace and an end to over 70 years of war dashed are today expressing optimism for the future. [More]

Truth Commission Releases Final Report on Causes and Consequences of Conflict

On June 28 Colombia’s Truth Commission released its Final Report on the causes and consequences of the armed conflict in Colombia at a ceremony in Bogotá. [More]

Ecuador

Indigenous-Led National Strike Wins Significant Concessions from Neo-Liberal Government

For 18 days beginning on June 13, Indigenous and working people in Ecuador took part in a national strike to demand the government address the urgent needs of the population … [More]

Honduras

Those Who Stood with the Honduran People Honoured on Anniversary of 2009 Coup

The 13th anniversary of the U.S.-backed coup which overthrew democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya and his government on June 28, 2009 was commemorated this year with a number of political-cultural events. [More]

New Conviction Handed Down for 2016 Murder of Berta Cáceres

On June 20, David Castillo, a U.S.-trained former military intelligence officer and former chief executive officer of Desarrollos Energéticos (DESA), was sentenced to 22 years in prison … [More]

The battle for Mariupol (I)

By Vladimir Golstein*

Mariupol is an important port on the Sea of Azov, located very close to the self-proclaimed independent Donetsk Republic on the one side and Crimea on another.

Revealing Ukraine — 2019 Documentary

Directed by Igor Lopatonok, Interviews by Oliver Stone

To view documentary click here.

Border stories: Anglo-European chauvinism and racism in dealing with Ukrainian refugees

Foreign students in Ukraine brutalized and terrorized at borders. Germany asks Poland to stop sending refugees. Oligarchs, MPs, neo-Nazis flee for their lives | Press review by TONY SEED*

African students await evacuation from Ukraine.

“Civilized” Europe is not only Russophobic but anti-Black and colonial.

Amid a deluge of reports and footage of racial discrimination in Ukraine, representatives from the Caribbean and Africa spoke to the unjust treatment of Ukrainian refugees of African origin during the debate on the UN General Assembly resolution concerning Ukraine. Videos showing Africans being pushed back from trains and border crossings have gone viral on social media (for example, here), causing an uproar and sparking statements of concern by African politicians and officials.

The ‘third front in the Ukraine war’: Report from Germany

Developments of concern related to U.S./NATO war hysteria

The NATO boycott campaign against athletes, artists and media from Russia is followed in Germany by the first attacks on Russians, Russian books, publishers, science and Russian institutions. Given the precedent of Nazi Germany, this is truly dangerous.

What is pertinent and what is not in considering unfolding events in Ukraine

The need to strengthen the anti-war movement must necessarily oppose warmongering, lies and disinformation on an ongoing basis. This task is as great today as ever, if not more so because of the grand-scale presentation of NATO and the U.S. as liberators | TML editorial commentary

NATO’s response to Russian military operation in Ukraine

“Russia is using force to try to rewrite history,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, to cover up that it is the U.S. and NATO who have been using force to impose their will and striving to take over Europe and dominate Asia.

Ukraine: Who said what

China said the U.S. has been sending weapons to Ukraine, heightening tensions, creating panic and even hyping up the possibility of warfare, Xinhua reported. “A key question here is what role the U.S., the culprit of current tensions surrounding Ukraine, has played. If someone keeps pouring oil on the flame while accusing others of not doing their best to put out the fire, such kind of behaviour is clearly irresponsible and immoral,” China said.

Crimea’s declaration of independence and proclamation of sovereign statehood

Crimean people celebrate being accepted as part of the Russian Federation in Simferopol, the Republic of Crimea, March 18, 2014. 

In a referendum held on March 16, 2014, citizens of Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. According to official data, Russians constituted 58.32 per cent of the population of Crimea, 24.32 per cent were Ukrainians and 12.10 per cent were Crimean Tatars. TML Daily wrote at the time:

Control of the Black Sea basin is crucial to Russia’s economy and security

On March 18, 2014 Russia and Crimea signed a treaty which gave the Russian Federation control over the Black Sea as well as the Sea of Azov, the west coastline of which borders on Eastern Ukraine and the Donetsk region. The agreement was announced by Russian President Putin who said two “constituent regions” of Crimea were to join the Russian Federation: the “Republic of Crimea” and the “City of Sevastopol,” both with the status of autonomous regions.

Ukraine – A Historical Sketch

This article by Nathan J. Freeman was originally published by TML Daily on March 21, 2014 under the title “What is the Trouble and Who Are the Troublemakers?”

The cunning of history has positioned Ukraine as the latest country in which post-Soviet Russia and U.S.-led imperialism confront each other. The U.S.-led camp, which includes the old European colonialism, is on a rampage. The Russian government has responded in a measured way, securing its naval assets in the Crimea and going so far as to take Crimea out of the clutches of the fascist coup that seized power in Kiev while putting the elected president, Alexander Yanukovych, to flight.

Prime Minister convokes emergency measures: Beware of secret deals and use of police powers against the peoples’ struggles

CPC(M-L) categorically opposes the invocation of the 1988 Emergencies Act. The invocation of emergency powers further raises anarchy to authority. Canadians must themselves work out what to do when both sides are wrong.

Ukraine: The inter-imperialist rivalry between the Biden presidency and rich local oligarchs

‘One Way Ticket’, painting by Svetlana Kryukova, 2021*

By Dmitriy Kovalevich*

Over the past 30 years, Ukraine’s independence has had two main pillars – the administrations of the United States/UK/Canada and the Ukrainian oligarchs, who defended their assets looted in the 1990s. Both these pillars have actively promoted their deputies to the Ukrainian parliament, as well as financing ultranationalist organizations and their media. And right now, a struggle is flaring up between the two pillars.

For Ukraine ‘independence’ is a form of colonialism

The fraud of Ukraine’s independence has been represented for 30 years as if it was not the decision of Soviet officials but the result of a long, armed struggle | DMITRY KOVALEVICH on ongoing issues facing the country.

5,000 U.S., British, Canadian , Polish and other NATO and Ukrainian troops marched in Kyiv in militaristic independence rally on August 24. NATO forces have occupied Ukraine, which is not a member, since 2014 under the pretext of training the armed forces. The march included more than 400 tanks and armoured vehicles.

This Day. The assassination of Alexander Zakharchenko

Exactly three years ago, on August 31, 2018, the head of Donetsk People’s Republic in Eastern Ukraine, Alexander Zakharchenko, was assassinated.

Not thanks, but in spite of: How Ukraine treats its Olympians

Ukrainian sport after 30 years of independence

President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, Olympic champion Serhiy Bubka met with the athletes of the national team on the eve of the XXXII Olympic Games in Tokyo | NOC

Interview with journalist Dmitry Kovalevich first published on Friendship First on August 25*

Tony Seed: Dmitry, August 24^th is the 30^th anniversary of Ukrainian independence, which is being celebrated in different ways, it seems more in Canada than Ukraine itself. Can you give us your assessment of the situation that Ukrainian sport and athletes are facing? Perhaps you might start with the recent Olympics.

Of perpetrators, victims and collaborators (II)

Ukraine honours Nazi-collaborators, who, 80 years ago today, participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union and carried out massacres of Jews. This fascist glorification is enabled by Canada, the United States and Germany who present themselves as the greatest opponents of “anti-semitism”.

Stepan Bandera (in the centre) in Nazi uniform

BERLIN/KIEV (german-foreign-policy.com) – Whereas the German invasion of the Soviet Union 80 years ago is being internationally commemorated today, collaborators, who participated in the war of annihilation on the side of the Germans, are receiving state honours in Ukraine, in particular the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and its leader Stepan Bandera as well as the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) which originated from that milieu. Together with the German Wehrmacht and troops from several collaborating states, OUN militias advanced onto Soviet territory, where they committed countless massacres of the Jewish population alongside German units. In Lviv (formerly Lemberg), 4,000 Jews were assassinated within a very short period. The parliament in Kiev declared the OUN “combatants for Ukrainian independence.” A government decree calls for honouring their “patriotism” and “high morals” in Ukrainian schools. The UPA’s founding day has been a national holiday since 2015. The OUN salute adorns Ukraine’s football League’s jerseys.

Ukraine Update: Blinken’s visit and external governance

Anthony Blinken and Victoria Nuland visited Kiev in May for multiple reasons. What has unfolded in Ukraine as a result? Protesters are increasingly holding rallies in front of the US embassy, having realized on whom the solution of their problems depends | Dmitriy Kovalevich
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(June 1) – For Ukrainian politicians, the month of May was kicked off with the visit of Anthony Blinken and Victoria Nuland to Kiev. The same Victoria Nuland who in 2014 supported ultra-right nationalists on the Maidan and became known amongst Ukrainians for distributing cookies.

Ukraine Update: Preparing for war to drop a new iron curtain

Could it be that under the Biden administration Kiev can easily be pushed to take the suicidal step of blocking the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and dropping a new iron curtain between the EU and Russia/China? | Dmitriy Kovalevich

© Facebook, Operation of the United Forces

Ukraine Update: Crackdown on media and opposition to please Biden

The Biden administration in the US appears to be impacting on Ukraine’s presidential policy, which in turn is negatively affecting the country’s opposition and opposition media, while nationalism and militarism are increasing | Dmitriy Kovalevich

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78 years ago: 1943 – the year the tide turned in World War II

 

(May 8, 2018) – The peoples of Russia remember 1943 as the year that everything changed; a year of decisive battles that altered the course of the Great Patriotic War and World War II as a whole. It was the year of the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of the Caucasus, the Battle of Kursk, and the Battle of the Dnieper. It began with the lifting of the siege of Leningrad and ended with the Red Army’s liberation of two thirds of the Soviet territory temporarily occupied by the Nazis – 38,000 localities, including 162 towns.

Ukraine Update: Oligarchic local elections and US media censorship

Dmitriy Kovalevich’s update on the local elections in Ukraine and US embassy pressure to impose media censorship in Ukraine. “The bill on media, which the U.S. embassy is promoting, should make it easier to block unwanted websites and TV channels.”
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Ukarine Update: Belarus crisis through the lens of Ukraine

On August 9, presidential elections were held in Belarus, a neighbour of Ukraine. Economically, they are mutually dependent on each other, and Russia is too, but currently it seems as if trade, like flights, could soon be put on hold. Meanwhile, far right neo-Nazi elements from Ukraine are attempting to increase unrest in the two countries. DMITRY KOVALEVICH  on the issues facing the two countries following the elections and how and if they can be resolved.

Supporters of Lukashenko hold authorized pro-government rally | Ruptly

In August, the situation in Belarus and the mass protests that engulfed the country almost completely dominated the information agenda of the Ukrainian media.

Ukraine Update: Floods, deforestation and neo-Nazi terror under Biden’s control

Dmitriy Kovalevich* writes about the environmental disaster and corruption surrounding illegal logging in the country’s primeval Carpathian beech forests, details of which were published in July in the latest Earthsight report. He also lays bare the violence being perpetrated by neo-Nazis against Ukrainian opposition on the country’s city streets and concludes that not only the terror but also the massive deforestation and the looting of national natural resources, is taking place either under the control or with the permission of the US Democratic Party.

This day. 2014, Donbass and the politics of provocation

By DMITRIY KOVALEVICH*

One of the most touching pictures from our civil war in Ukraine. ‘That’s mom’s birthday”, 2015, Donetsk. The boy’s eyes are quite telling.

On May 26, 2014  Alexander Turchinov – a leader of Euro-Maidan in Ukraine and interim president of the new coup government until the May 25 election – ordered the armed forces to launch air-strikes against rebellious cities in the Donbass.