The 4th Media » BBC, Other Media’s Naked War Propaganda about the FICTITIOUS ‘Russian Aggression’

Russian aggression and the BBC’s drums of nuclear war

The drums of war are beating on the BBC and other mass media, writes Oliver Tickell – naked propaganda about fictitious ‘Russian aggression’ intended to soften us up for a war that could wipe out life on Earth.

We must refuse to fall for the endlessly repeated lies, and tell our politicians that our highest priority of all is peace.

“Russian aggression”is the BBC’s meme of the day. I lost count of how many times the phrase popped up in the first 15 minutes of Radio 4’s World at One programme, devoted entirely to the ‘Russian problem – but the theme was drummed in relentlessly.

The idea is that Russia presents a huge a growing threat to world peace and stability. Russian bombers are threatening the ‘English’ Channel (albeit strictly from international airspace). Russia is an expansionist power attacking sovereign nations, Ukraine in particular. And watch it – we’re next!

Commentators wheeled into the studio were unanimous in their views. NATO must stand up to the threat. Presient Vladimir Putin is a dangerous monster who refuses to abide by the rules of the international order. NATO countries must increase their defence spending to counter the Russian menace.

Not a single moderating voice was included in the discussion. No one to ask Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, if alliance aircraft ever fly close to Russia’s borders (they do). No one to point out that the real Ukrainian narrative in is not that of Russia’s ‘annexation’ of Crimea – but of NATO’s US-led annexation of Ukraine itself.

No one to argue that Russia’s assimilation of Crimea was effected with hardly a shot being fired, backed by overwhelming support in a referendum which reflected the popular will – and if you’re in any doubt, just compare it to Israel’s ongoing and endlessly justified annexation of Palestine.

Complete story at - The 4th Media » BBC, Other Media’s Naked War Propaganda about the FICTITIOUS ‘Russian Aggression’

Top Russia Expert: Ukraine Joining Nato Would Provoke Nuclear War | Zero Hedge

Stephen Cohen is one of America’s top experts on Russia. Cohen is professor emeritus of Russian studies and politics at New York University and Princeton University, and the author of a number of books on Russia and the Soviet Union.

Cohen says that the West is mainly to blame for the crisis in Ukraine:

This is a horrific, tragic, completely unnecessary war in eastern Ukraine. In my own judgment, we have contributed mightily to this tragedy. I would say that historians one day will look back and say that America has blood on its hands. Three thousand people have died, most of them civilians who couldn’t move quickly. That’s women with small children, older women. A million refugees.

Cohen joins other American experts on Russia – such as former U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, Jack Matlock – in this assessment.

Cohen also says that if Ukraine joins NATO, it will lead to nuclear war:

[Interviewer:] The possibility of Ukraine in NATO and what that means and what—

STEPHEN COHEN: Nuclear war.

[Interviewer:] Explain.

STEPHEN COHEN: Next question. I mean, it’s clear. It’s clear. First of all, by NATO’s own rules, Ukraine cannot join NATO, a country that does not control its own territory. In this case, Kiev controls less and less by the day. It’s lost Crimea. It’s losing the Donbas—I just described why—to the war. A country that does not control its own territory cannot join Ukraine [sic]. Those are the rules.

[Interviewer:] Cannot join—

STEPHEN COHEN: I mean, NATO. Secondly, you have to meet certain economic, political and military criteria to join NATO.
Ukraine meets none of them. Thirdly, and most importantly, Ukraine is linked to Russia not only in terms of being Russia’s essential security zone, but it’s linked conjugally, so to speak, intermarriage. There are millions, if not tens of millions, of Russian and Ukrainians married together. Put it in NATO, and you’re going to put a barricade through millions of families. Russia will react militarily.

In fact, Russia is already reacting militarily, because look what they’re doing in Wales today. They’re going to create a so-called rapid deployment force of 4,000 fighters. What is 4,000 fighters? Fifteen thousand or less rebels in Ukraine are crushing a 50,000-member Ukrainian army. Four thousand against a million-man Russian army, it’s nonsense. The real reason for creating the so-called rapid deployment force is they say it needs infrastructure. And the infrastructure—that is, in plain language is military bases—need to be on Russia’s borders. And they’ve said where they’re going to put them: in the Baltic republic, Poland and Romania.

Complete story at - Top Russia Expert: Ukraine Joining Nato Would Provoke Nuclear War | Zero Hedge

THE LAST DEFENSE • Gorbachev on Ukraine: Terrifying massacre in store for Europe

To resolve the conflict in Ukraine, it is highly important to resume the dialogue between Moscow and Washington, as “their role and responsibility is special,” first president of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev believes. Earlier, Gorbachev stated that Europe may face “terrifying massacre” because of the current crisis in Ukraine. According to him, “too much is at stake; dangers and risks are too high.”

Mikhail Gorbachev has recently finished working on a new book, which is going to be published soon. The book, titled “After the Kremlin,” is devoted to events in Russia and the world over the past two decades. In the epilogue to the book, Gorbachev wrote that the deep cause of what is currently happening in Ukraine was the failure of perestroika and “opportunistic dissolution of the USSR.” Gorbachev blamed the then Russian administration for that.

"At the same time, I must remind you, the Ukrainian leadership sabotaged the process of transformation of the Union - both before the August 1991 coup and after it, despite the fact that the majority of republics had coordinated the text of the Union Treaty," said Gorbachev.

He was fighting to preserve the unified state with all available political tools and offered Kiev to discuss opportunities of creating an economic union, the former Soviet president said. During those talks, he added, one could solve all problems, including the ones on the status of the city of Sevastopol and the Crimean Peninsula.

Complete story at - THE LAST DEFENSE • Gorbachev on Ukraine: Terrifying massacre in store for Europe