Ukraine: As it happens.

Red Nissan wrote: »

Please do, but with a few paragraphs.

InTheTrees wrote: »

Yeah. Sure. Whatever. All tragedies.

Does that make it okay for Russia to invade Ukraine?

You would basically sacrifice the Ukrainians to the Russian oligarchs because you're pissed off about gaza and creeping western capitalism?

No.
I have never said i would sacrifice anyone. It is a disgrace the slaughter of the Ukrainians (largely by Right Wing units of the Ukrainian military). I Have seen photographs from there that are truly haunting, and would make the coldest heart weep. I think to suggest that anyone on here is in favour of the bloodshed (anywhere in the world) is a poor argument. It is just not true.

What some people have been suggesting here (myself included) is that there is a spin being put on events in Ukraine at the moment; a demonising of Putin while the West rides in like the Good Sheriff.

Any reasonable consideration of the various facts, from the threat to the hegemony of the dollar, to the expansion of Nato, to the implicit support from outside for regime change in Ukraine, will show that the facts are not black and white.

I do not support Putin. Not at all.

I just cannot stomach propaganda.

(See...paragraphs )

What It's All About: Russia, China Begin Construction Of World's Largest Gas Pipeline:

If after months of Eurasian axis formation, one still hasn't realized why in the grand game over Ukraine supremacy - not to mention superpower geopolitics - Europe, and the West, has zero leverage, while Russia has all the trump cards, then today's latest development in Chinese-Russian cooperation should make it abundantly clear.

Overnight, following a grand ceremony in the Siberian city of Yakutsk, Russia and China officially began the construction of a new gas pipeline linking the countries. The bottom line to Russia - nearly half a trillion after China's CNPC agreed to buy $400bn in gas from Russia's Gazprom back in May. In return, Russia will ship 38 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually over a period of 30 years. The 3,968 km pipeline linking gas fields in eastern Siberia to China will be the world's largest fuel network.

As BBC reports, "the deal will lessen Russia's dependence on European buyers, who have imposed economic sanctions because of the crisis in Ukraine." That is not news and has been known for months ever since the long-anticipated Holy Grail deal was signed in May. More importantly, as Zero Hedge reported last week, one awaits as the invoices become increasingly less denominated in USD, and more in CNY or RUB. Most importantly, and confirming the significance of Russia's pivot away from Europe, which ultimately can have Qatar's gas it so very desires, irrelevant how many thousands of innocent people have to die, the construction ceremony was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli.
Increasingly it appears that China will defer to Russia when it comes to cementing bilateral commodity deals, especially if it means further distancing both sides from what has emerged as a natural foe to both aspirational nations: the United States.

Here is what Putin had to say about the latest gas pipeline, soon to be the world's largest, during the groundbreaking ceremony outside the city of Yakutsh, via RT: "The new gas branch will significantly strengthen the economic cooperation with countries in the Asia-Pacific region and above all - our key partner China."

“Once we create a gas pipeline network here in the Far East and Siberia, we will be able to connect European pipeline system to the East. And this, in terms of export opportunities and expanding Russia’s ‘gasification’, is very beneficial. Depending on the situation in world markets, we can more effectively implement gas flows- either more to the West or to the East,” Putin told students at North-Eastern Federal University earlier on Monday.

So while the west is no longer able to find any growth opportunities, with the marginal free cash flow dollar increasingly going in stock buybacks, Russia has no such problems: running from the Chayanda gas field in the Republic of Yakutia, the cost of construction is estimated at more than $20 billion (770 billion rubles), which includes other investment in the region of $7.5 billion (283 billion rubles). Russia’s largest steel pipeline manufacturer, TMK, will provide materials for the project.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-09-01/putin-celebrates-groundbreaking-russia-china-gas-pipeline-worlds-longest

Ukraine is but a pawn in a much bigger game. it might not be right but thats how it is. this is has nothing to do with freedom or whatever. its about energy, resources, economics the usual suspects. the Russians went into Ukraine to protect the pipeline flows and their gas incomes along with their naval base. the same things the west are interested in among others. the world is no longer unipolar its multipolar. its in European interests to do business with the Russians, we need their energy, just the cold hard reality of the situation. if the Americans want to take them on then off they go, maniacs. but leave us out of it dont be manipulated into a war for their interests. what is happening right now is way bigger than just Ukraine.