Russian news: Western Media Get Ukraine Elections Wrong. There's Big Trouble Ahead - Russia Insider

Western Media Get Ukraine Elections Wrong. There's Big Trouble Ahead

Western media says they are legitimizing, stabilizing, and a vote for a turn towards the EU. This is simply not the case.

• The country is still badly split, East vs. West
• Turnout was low, especially in the critical East
• The East is dis-enfranchised
• Neo-Nazi street violence still a real political factor
• Popular support for Poroshenko is low
• Support for the war is low
• The government, and popular opinion, are deeply fractured
• Poroshenko failed to consolidate himself as the country's leader

Sunday’s Ukrainian parliamentary elections are being misunderstood by the international media and by elements of the Russian press.

There is a misperception that they were between competing parties with differing ideologies, such as those that take place elsewhere in Europe and throughout the world.

This is very far from being the case.

Ukraine this year has experienced a major power struggle between two factions of its political elite. In February 2014, one faction won the power struggle by resorting to a violent coup that gave it control of the levers of power.

Complete story at - Russian news: Western Media Get Ukraine Elections Wrong. There's Big Trouble Ahead - Russia Insider

Ukraine’s Thieves and Nazis: From ‘Russian Propaganda’ to Parliament | New Eastern Outlook

With the final votes being counted in Ukraine’s parliamentary elections, early results show an unsurprisingly strong showing for the country’s oligarchs, while neo-Nazi candidates score significant victories of their own.

Though the democratic character of the elections is certainly in doubt, the inescapable reality is that the new government in Kiev is going to be even more aggressive, even more radical, and even more dangerous, as the political character of the Verkohvna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) becomes ever more reactionary. Not only will this development have negative repercussions for the people of Donetsk and Lugansk, as they likely will now be facing a renewed assault from a belligerent government looking to assert itself before the eyes of the Ukrainian electorate, it will also further entrench the anti-Russian posture of Kiev, which will now have to contend with even more right wing pressure to eschew negotiations and pragmatism with Russia, in favor of a destructive and unwinnable strategy of continued antagonism and provocation.

In examining closely some of the election’s higher profile winners, one sees a disconcerting trend that goes far beyond simply neo-Nazi ideology; this election has legitimized the rule of criminal oligarchs and the factions and private armies they control, while also entrenching violent, and quite often criminal, individuals and tendencies within the newly constituted government. In effect, the fascist fanatics of Maidan now have a new home in the Rada.

Tallying the Votes, Assessing the Damage

Although the final vote count has yet to be made official, preliminary results show that the two dominant factions and leaders within the Ukrainian government, President Poroshenko and his bloc and Arseniy Yatsenyuk and his “People’s Front,” both handpicked by the United States, each garnered roughly 21 percent of the vote, making them the clear winners in the election. Of course, it is clear that the losers are the people of Ukraine, many of whom demonstrated on Maidan against the corruption of an oligarch-controlled government, only to watch new, “pro-Western” corrupt oligarchs usurp control of the country with the backing of powerful Western interests.

As for the neo-Nazi elements, well they too will have an important place in the Rada. While a number of Western journalists have hailed the election as concrete proof that the neo-Nazi label is merely “Russian propaganda” and “fear-mongering”, the reality is that roughly 15-20 percent of the seats in the Rada will be controlled by the fascist forces of Oleh Lyashko (Radical Party) and Oleh Tyahnybok (Svoboda Party), not to mention the Fatherland Party of corrupt oligarch and quasi-fascist Yulia Tymoshenko. In addition, the criminal leader of the Nazi Right Sector organization, Dmitry Yarosh, has been elected to represent the Dnepropetrovsk region in Kiev. Dnepropetrovsk it should be remembered has been transformed from a region of Ukraine into the personal fiefdom of the oligarch Igor Kolomoisky. In effect then, Yarosh, whose Right Sector has at various times acted as a de facto private army for Kolomoisky, becomes the representative of the Kolomoisky power bloc in Kiev, effectively marrying neo-Nazi ideology with oligarch wealth and influence.

Complete story at - Ukraine’s Thieves and Nazis: From ‘Russian Propaganda’ to Parliament | New Eastern Outlook

As Default and Devaluation Loom, Ukraine Bails Out Oligarchs and Hammers Everyone Else - Russia Insider

Today, the Ukrainian Central Bank announced changes to foreign exchange laws in a bid to help oligarchs while hurting the average Ukrainian.

The limit on company's foreign exchange holdings has been altered to allow 25% of revenues to be held in non-hryvina denominated currency from a prior 0%. At the same time the Central Bank cut the maximum an individual citizen of Ukraine is allowed to transact to 3,000 hryvina (around 230 dollars) from 15,000.

The move is all too reminiscent of Yeltsin's decision to default and devalue the Russian Ruble in August 1998. The previous 12 months had seen the Russian Central Bank paying out 27 billion dollars to defend the currency (around 6% of GDP at the time). What they were really doing was letting many of the well-connected convert their Ruble holdings ahead of the devaluation.

The Ukrainian Central Bank has so far lowered its foreign currency reserves from 20 billion to 15 billion in the past 9 months. This is on top of 1 billion dollars of IMF money and 1.5 billion of World Bank money which has been injected, implying that they have spent 7.5 billion propping up the currency, equivalent to about 8% of GDP. This is if we trust their excel spread-sheet from August, I would not be surprised if we discover five years later that the real amounts were much larger owing to theft.

Complete story at - As Default and Devaluation Loom, Ukraine Bails Out Oligarchs and Hammers Everyone Else - Russia Insider

In Avakov's Eyes Killing People, a Small Price for Nazification of Ukraine and Suppressing the Revolt of Oligarchs' "Slaves"

Just before midnight on September 5, thus only some five hours after the introduction of the strange and politically problematic ceasefire agreed upon in Minsk on the same day, Arsen Avakov gave a TV interview. He came to the interview from the session of the inner security circle of the junta itself. Evidently, a key topic of the briefing of the security strongmen of the junta was planning, strategy and a course action with respect to the "ceasefire." The ceasefire was also, consequently, the topic which opened the interview.

In this case, Avakov's fatigue, arrogance, and insider's knowledge all  combined to reveal not only the character of this Nazi oligarch, but also much of the character of the current oligarchic regime in Kiev, which came to power through "the February revolution," as Avakov dubbed the Maidan putsch in this interview.

The interview is thus very revealing  and also very instruction. How do you know when you talk to a Nazi? Avakov shows how. He is in charge of the ministry of interior, hence also the police. In addition, he is also in charge of the so-called National Guard, which is formed as storm troopers or junta's special forces. These battalions are formed of people who sign up for strictly political and ideological reasons. That's why the Azov battalion with explicit Nazi symbolism is one of them.

The so-called ceasefire

On the subject of the ceasefire, Avakov had to say right off the following: "The agreed ceasefire is nothing but a clever cunning on our part in order to achieve what we want, which is to win." To this effect, the ceasefire is but a small tactical measure; the strategic goal is to overthrow "Putin, the tyrant" and to change the system of Russia itself. This real greater objective and the current war in Ukraine were "planned for years and even for decades." If so, then the personality of Putin is used both as a cover and symbolic shortcut for this decades-old plan.

Complete story at - In Avakov's Eyes Killing People, a Small Price for Nazification of Ukraine and Suppressing the Revolt of Oligarchs' "Slaves"

Ukraine's Secret Weapon: Feisty Oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky - WSJ

NoBC4U Note: Yeah, generally I don't give the WSJ exposure here, but face it. Small media outlets won't get access to Ihor Kolomoisky.  Only the biggies.

DNIPROPETROVSK, Ukraine — Leaning over a map of eastern Ukraine on his desk, Gennady Korban gripped a ballpoint pen and drew a squiggling blue line down its center.

The border, he said, marked the battlefront in his country's war with pro-Russia separatists. One side was stable, rid of "troublemakers," he said. On the other are "maniacs," he said. "Men without families, who don't want families, they just like war." If they cross over the line, he said, "we'll just have to kill them."

He called the border "Kolomoisky's line"—after his billionaire boss, who is emerging as one of the more unlikely protagonists to emerge from Ukraine's fight for survival.

When its high-profile conflict with Russia began, the fledgling government in Kiev was caught flat-footed, with an army with little fighting experience or funding. Enter Ihor Kolomoisky, a 51-year-old outspoken banking tycoon. Now recently appointed by the country's president as governor of Dnipropetrovsk region in eastern Ukraine, he has decided to dip into his fortune to bolster that army and defend the homeland.

So far, that has included buying tires, car batteries and fuel for army units, as well outfitting local militias. He also announced a program to buy up contraband weapons and offer a $10,000 bounty for any pro-Russia militant captured with a gun. Without disclosing numbers, Mr. Kolomoisky's deputies call the program a success, though they say a few drunks have tried to turn in some compatriots for reward.

Complete story at - Ukraine's Secret Weapon: Feisty Oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky - WSJ



Kolomoisky (L)

Ukraine and the battle of the oligarchs - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

As the crisis in Ukraine spirals out of control, with government troops trying to suppress what Kiev calls "separatist movements" in the east of the country, behind the scenes, the battle of the Ukrainian oligarchs for power and control of assets continues. It's a covert war that most people don't really hear about in the news, even though the names of key players are well-known in Ukraine and beyond.

Take the former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been very active since her release from prison in February, after ex-President Viktor Yanukovich had been forced to go on the run, and ended up in Russia. The word on the street is she's trying to avenge some of her enemies who, she thinks, were instrumental in putting her behind bars on charges of fraud.

Although she has failed to win the presidency, probably as a result of discreet pressure from the West, where she is seen as damaged goods, she is now allegedly making life difficult for several oligarchs who were close to Yanukovich.

Another oligarch, Rinat Akhmetov, who has vast interests in the east of Ukraine, is under pressure from the government. He has had to look for ways to regain his political influence after the ouster of his close ally, Yanukovich. As for billionaire Igor Kolomoisky, current governor of the Dnepropetrovsk region appointed by the interim government in Kiev, he is reaping the rewards of his support for the "revolution", rapidly extending his business empire - and having created a private army.

Too much at stake?

The extraordinary thing about Ukrainian oligarchs is that most of them have come out as fervent supporters of the "people's revolution" that ousted Yanukovich - albeit, you would have expected them to have been on good terms at least with the previous regime, if only to keep their massive assets intact. But no, now they boast about their involvement in bringing down Yanukovich. And that may well be the case. As my sources on the ground in Kiev have told me, the oligarchs quickly figured out that it was unwise to keep their eggs in one basket, i.e. remaining on good terms with Yanukovich and his people.

"There was too much at stake for them," one former government minister said.

Ironically, the current president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, himself an oligarch who made his fortune, apart from other things, by having good relations with Russia, was not exactly a vocal critic of the previous regime before the protests in Kiev started in earnest last year. But lo and behold, now it turns out that Poroshenko was a devout "revolutionary" and his greatest wish of all was to see Yanukovich go and Ukraine joining the EU.

Complete story at - Ukraine and the battle of the oligarchs - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Richest Ukrainian Dodges Crossfire on $13 Billion Tightrope - Bloomberg

Each day at noon, hundreds of thousands of factory workers in Ukraine’s rebel hotbed pause as sirens blare for three minutes, a behavioral tool Rinat Akhmetov is using to help guard the country’s largest fortune.

The daily signal of defiance against pro-Russian militias and pay raises throughout his companies are just some of the measures the billionaire is taking to rally support for the national government in the Donbas industrial basin, where the majority of his 300,000 workers live. Most of them backed the revolt when the fighting began three months ago. Not anymore, according to company officials.

“Now 99 percent of the workforce correctly understands the events that are happening and supports the principle that Donbas is part of Ukraine,” Enver Tskitishvili, who runs the Azovstal mill, a unit of Akhmetov’s Metinvest steel producer, said in his office in the port city of Mariupol. Donbas, the heart of the Soviet coal industry, covers the Donetsk and Luhansk regions along Ukraine’s border with Russia.

Akhmetov, worth $13.2 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, is walking a fine line between officials in Kiev who deposed his former ally, Kremlin-backed President Viktor Yanukovych, and secessionists in their native Donetsk who now call him “enemy.” For weeks, Akhmetov, 47, kept out as separatists seized buildings and claimed autonomy. Then in May he declared his opposition to the uprising and vowed to help end it. His efforts may prove critical to the efforts of Ukraine’s new president, Petro Poroshenko, to re-establish control.

Complete story at - Richest Ukrainian Dodges Crossfire on $13 Billion Tightrope - Bloomberg



Especially loved this comment:

After reading this tribal excrement I knew Henry Meyer's name would be at the top.

"The average wage at Metinvest, which produced 12.5 million tons of steel last year, or about a third of the country’s output, is 5,264 hryvnia ($450) a month, about 53 percent more than the national average, according to the company"

Russian *pensions* paid in Crimea are now $285/month, fully 64% of a "high" factory wage, to put the horror of Ukrainian wages under criminal oligarchs like Akhmetov in perspective. If anyone thinks the tribal bankers who orchestrated the coup in Ukraine care any more about the 99% in Ukraine than they do the 99% in the U.S., they are sadly mistaken.

End comment:

That means that the average monthly salary in Ukraine is about what a retiree in Crimea makes.

Swiss to Investigate Igor Kolomoisky's Permit to Live in Geneva | Dances With Bears

NoBC4U Note:  Igor Kolomoisky is a notorious Ukrainian oligarch, believed to be a major financial supporter of Right Sector and Svoboda, the main Nazi forces in Ukraine, and a major financial backer of the war again East Ukraine (Novorossiya). He's the guy pictured below on the left. 

By John Helmer, Moscow

The Swiss Federal Police and the Federal Office for Migration will shortly decide whether the residency permit issued to Igor Kolomoisky to live in Geneva will be extended beyond the current expiry date. Kolomoisky’s permit comes up for renewal in October, and four months of investigation may be required by the Swiss authorities to authorize his stay.

Regular reviews of foreign residency permits in Switzerland are required every one or two years, according to government sources referring to Swiss law and regulations. But in Kolomoisky’s case, the Swiss authorities are obliged to determine whether Kolomoisky’s activities since March as the governor of the eastern Ukraine region of Dniepropetrovsk, and a recent Russian indictment of Kolomoisky for war crimes, represent a violation of the rules and disallow him for residency.

Last week, the Investigative Committee (IC) of the Russian procuracy announced that it is issuing an international warrant for Kolomoisky’s arrest on war crimes. The indictment charges Kolomoisky under articles 33, 105, 126, 144, and 356 of the Russian Criminal Code with conspiracy to murder; commission of war crimes; and kidnapping. According to IC spokesman Vladimir Markin, “over forty investigators continue to carry out investigative operations with people who are arriving from Ukraine to the Rostov Region, the Republic of Crimea, as well as to Belgorod, Voronezh, Bryansk, Kursk and other regions. As of the present moment, 2,400 witnesses have been questioned; 1,470 people have been found to be victims [of crime], including 208 minors. More than a thousand people have handed Russian investigators their claims to be addressed to the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights. Moreover, measures are being taken to identify certain individuals from among the number of officers and soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard of Ukraine and Right Sector militants, who took part in the military operation against civilians in southeastern Ukraine. The investigation is ongoing.”

Charged in the Russian indictment with Kolomoisky is Arsen Avakov, the Minister of Interior appointed after the ouster of President Victor Yanukovich on February 21.
Asked if the indictment has been filed with the governments of Switzerland, where Kolomoisky has lived for more than a decade, and of Cyprus and Israel, which have issued him with passports, Markin declined to give details; he confirmed that the warrant, plus supporting evidence for extradition, will be filed with Interpol and with the Swiss authorities. Yesterday Markin announced that the indictment of Kolomoisky has been submitted for an initial ruling by the Basmanny court in Moscow. A hearing on the indictment and request for a warrant for Kolomoisky’s arrest is scheduled for the morning of July 2. Kolomoisky may engage a lawyer to represent him at the hearing. If he does not, the court will appoint a public defender.

Complete story at - SWISS TO INVESTIGATE IGOR KOLOMOISKY’S PERMIT TO LIVE IN GENEVA | Dances With Bears

Kiev protégé allegedly behind Mariupol and Odessa massacres – leaked tapes — RT News

Two leaked tapes have emerged on the internet where Kiev-appointed governor allegedly threatens an ex-presidential candidate who called for a referendum. The official may also be behind the Odessa massacre and Mariupol shootings, the leak adds.

On the first tape, which appeared on May 14, an oligarch and governor of the city of Dnepropetrovsk in southeastern Ukraine, Igor Kolomoisky, allegedly called ex-presidential candidate Oleg Tsarev and started threatening him. He told Tsarev to leave Ukraine immediately, saying it was in connection with the killing of Bogdan Shlemkevich, a soldier from Ukraine’s National Guard on May 9 in Mariupol, southeastern Ukraine. He was shot in clashes between anti-government protesters and soldiers sent by Kiev in an ‘antiterrorist’ operation in eastern Ukraine.

Tsarev, a Dnepropetrovsk businessman and People's Deputy of Ukraine, submitted his candidacy as self-nominee for the presidential election scheduled for May 25. He is standing for federalization of the country as well as for referenda in all parts of Ukraine. He withdrew his presidential candidacy on 29 April in a protest against Kiev.

“We prayed for [Bogdan] Shlemkevich who was killed in Mariupol and they say that Tsarev is guilty,” Kolomoisky told the ex-candidate.

The Dnepropetrovsk governor says that now Tsarev and his family will be hunted down and killed.

“They put $1 million for your head, they will go after you everywhere,” Kolomoisky told him. “Tomorrow they will look for your people and relatives,” said the Ukrainian oligarch.

Complete story at - Kiev protégé allegedly behind Mariupol and Odessa massacres – leaked tapes — RT News