Stephen Cohen makes sense. He always did...

"...  diplomats cautioned that stumbling blocks remain , including the highly charged issue of whether recent land gains made by separatists would be recognized as part of a cease-fire agreement. And there is skepticism that Moscow and the separatists would adhere to a deal . A previous accord reached in Minsk last September — which aimed to create a demilitarized zone and deliver more autonomy for the rebel-held lands — was routinely violated before largely breaking down in recent weeks."  Washpost

--------------

Stephen Cohen was on GPS this Sunday.  He shared a panel on Zakariya's show with several "squirrels" who were quite infected with the delusion that the US rules the world as the manifestation of man's future perfection and destiny.  They asserted confidently that Russia must be pressured by the US and Europe until it submits to a brave new world order in which armies, air forces and navies are mere instruments of diplomacy used to push errant childlike states into line. The assertion was heard once again that spheres of influence are things long past in the 21st Century.

Cohen, with his usual perspicacity and determination refused to accept this baloney and pressed the "squirrels" to contemplate the size of Russia's nuclear capability and the risk of backing such a power into a corner from which it cannot escape except through lashing out at its tormentors or falling to its knees in submission.

The Germans and the French have wisely refused to participate in placing such pressure on Russia.  Merkel says that under no circumstances will Germany arm the Kiev government.  This must be a great cause for frustration for Victoria Nuland and other such people who think of international relations as a schoolyard game of domination among cliques.

Merkel is here in Washington now to try talk some sense into "Obama's Girls" as SWMBO calls Obama's clique.  pl  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/joint-summit-on-ukraine-crisis-could-herald-breakthrough-on-peace-deal/2015/02/08/82df7f4e-af8f-11e4-854b-a38d13486ba1_story.html

Comments

[Aka]

sir,
do the people in US government think that they can somehow use military options to force Russia in to submission?

These people certainly do not seems to worry much about a nuclear war. Have they every wondered why countries maintain nuclear weapons?

I think German's and the french have finally understood that if a full blown war happens in Ukraine, they are the ones who are going to get the full blast. Not the US which is a Ocean away.

[anna-marina]

The oceans have been providing a comfort of separation, for the US, from major military activities. The "squirrels" remind of children that enjoy taking a living creature (say, a frog) apart. The little frog cannot defend itself - that was proven with Iraq and many other "regional powers." Let's see how the children would enjoy themselves when meeting an offended adult.
Ignorance and opportunism among the highest echelon of power could be a deadly combination for many, including the high-positioned arsonists.

[William R. Cumming]

I watched the news conference with President and Chancellor.

Whatever the merits and benefits and costs of various options given other concerns I think a de facto partition of the Ukraine now looks more likely.

And as a number of American-Ukrainian friends have told me the best option for the Western Ukrainians is to vote with their feet.

And perhaps diminishing Russian flight capital will now slow down real estate speculation in London, NYC and inside the Washington beltway.

Could be wrong as always.

[William R. Cumming]

Stephen Cohen getting longer in the tooth but becoming even wiser IMO!

Truly expert on Russia.

[confusedponderer]

Yes, IMO the Ukraine crisis as it is now is entirely a US "crisis of coice" at European expense (which doesn't absolve Eurpope from its inane and inglorious contribution to it).

"Victoria Nuland and other such people who think of international relations as a schoolyard game of domination among cliques"

Yes, sadly, very sadly, it looks just that childish.

[Natemotep]

It was also extraordinarily refreshing to hear someone who knew what they were about chastise fellow panel members for touting the administrations line and mentioning that they should know better.

[William Fitzgerald]

Pat Lang,

I watched it. As discussions go it consisted of Cohen ably refuting a collection of absurd arguments. when he brought up the very probable end game of this confrontation of war with Russia, including escalation to nuclear war, the others didn't acknowledge that at all. Freeland, M.P. from Canada and the fellow next to her basically babeled away with sound bites that must have come from Fox news.

WPFIII

[Rd.]

"with several "squirrels" who were quite infected with the delusion" pl

would the Col approve of these other sets of 'NSC', if they were to be appointed?

" Thomas Pickering (former ambassador to the United Nations), Winston Lord (former assistant to Henry Kissinger), Frank Wisner (unofficially one of the bosses of the CIA and incidentally Nicolas Sarkozy’s stepfather) and Michèle Flournoy (the President of the Center for a New American Security) [8]. Then, Republicans Robert Zoellick (former head of the World Bank) [9], Richard Armitage (former assistant to Colin Powell) [10], Robert Kimmitt (probable next boss of the World Bank), and Richard Burt (former negotiator on the reduction of nuclear weapons).

For Secretary of Defense, Mr. Gelb offers Rabbi Dov Zakheim to manage budget cuts [11], Admiral Mike Mullen (former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and General Jack Keane (former Chief of Staff of the Army).

Finally, Mr. Gelb proposes that the national security strategy be developed in consultation with the four "wise men": Henry Kissinger [12] Brent Scowcroft, Zbigniew Brzezinski, [13] and James Baker. [14]"

http://www.voltairenet.org/article186543.html

[turcopolier]

Rd.

I would not be in favor of either Mullen or Keane. The rest would be fine. pl

[VietnamVet]

Colonel,

This is the most dangerous crisis since WWII. Unlike 1962 there are no veterans in the West Wing to stand down the crazies. A diplomatic settlement that splits Ukraine will be a humiliating defeat for the West who instigated this mess to capture Russian and Ukraine’s resources. Right now the Air Force staff must be planning air support for the thousands of Ukrainian troops and western mercenaries trapped in Debaltseve. A fight for air superiority over Ukraine between NATO and Russia instantly starts WWIII.

The risk of our nuclear annihilation that is seconds away is not recognized nor acknowledged. If mankind survives, it will be because a new Iron Curtain is drawn down the Dnieper River and the BRICS economic system gets up and running. Young Europeans to escape austerity will have to move east for jobs and a new life unless the New World Order is overthrown and capitalism reregulated.

[anna-marina]

Uninhibited pursuit of money and power deforms human mind. It so dangerous for humanity to live under well-armed plutocracy.
The White House toadies are not able to use their gray matter in any way that would contradict the Masters' line. The Masters, of course, are sure that their mess will be cleaned by the "biomass."

[Tyler]

WRC,

Obama was nonsensical. He started mumbling something about "the 21st century will not let this stand" or such.

More cultural marxist 'right side of history' bs/female shaming language. "Do what I want or Ill nag you."

[Castellio]

I get regular updates from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Here is a quote from Paul Grod, the President, received today.

"Today, Ukraine needs clear and decisive action from Canada and our allies to defend against Russian terrorist aggression. Providing Ukraine with the military equipment needed to defend herself is key to establishing and maintaining peace in Ukraine and throughout the region.

We are grateful to the Prime Minister for his leadership in standing up for Ukraine and look forward to continued productive and cooperative relationships with Ministers Nicholson and Kenney as we continue to build international resolve to opposing Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and stopping the terrorist-led war in Eastern Ukraine."

His comment is extremely dishonest, and he only compounds this dishonesty by pretending to speak for all Canadian Ukrainians.

If anyone should understand the historical necessity and efficacy of federalization among different language-speakers, religions and regions, it is a Canadian. But apparently, not so Mr Grod, nor Prime Minister Harper.

Shameful.

[Bandolero]

All

Though I may be a bit off-topic here, I'll risk this comment: has anybody any idea why the major news from military developments in Ukraine were not covered in the Ukrainian or western media?

I found just one piece from IBTimes covering the major news story of the day on all Russian media today:

Ukraine War: Rebels Seize Control Of Key Route Used By Ukrainian Military To Ship Ammunition As Battle Over Debaltsevo Intensifies

http://www.ibtimes.com/ukraine-war-rebels-seize-control-key-route-used-ukrainian-military-ship-ammunition-1810228

And the strongly pro-US Ukrainian Pravda just mysteriously reports:

There is no cauldron at Debalcevo, but the road was occupied in the region of Logvinovo

http://kp.ua/incidents/489955-pod-debaltsevo-kotla-net-no-zakhvachena-trassa-v-raione-lohvynovo

(If one reads this report with Google translator, I'm not sure whether the subtunes are tansported correctly, but be assured, in the Russian original there's lot's of deep and bitter sarcasm in that kp.ua news item. It says among other things it's not a problem that the road is closed because Novorossiya forces are entrenched there now so it will be easier to beat them tomorrow as today's efforts of opening the road failed.)

Russian news read about this like this - quote:

Donetsk Militia Claims to Have Control of Key Supply Route to Kiev Forces

The strategic highway, which provided deliveries of ammunition and equipment to Ukrainian forces encircled in Debaltseve, was completely blocked by Donetsk People’s Republic militia, according to the statement of Donetsk military headquarters. ... According to the reports, up to 10,000 Ukrainian troops remain surrounded after recapturing the contested town last July.

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150209/1017992558.html

Yeps, that's right, according to Russian media about 5000 to 10000 Ukrainian troops are now sitting ducks in the Debaltsevo cauldron and they are completely cut off from any supplies since the Novorossiya forces conquered the only street open so far to that city today morning.

The up-to-date map seems to look like this:

https://i0.wp.com/ic.pics.livejournal.com/dragon_first_1/72271520/76781/76781_900.jpg

Russian state TV Rossiya 1 published a video showing Novorossiya forces after conquering the crucial village and road - the village sign "Logvonove" can be read well in the video:

http://youtu.be/lp3SL0yI6gw

What can be the explanation for that all the western MSM - except IBTimes - ignore this story?

[Bandolero]

Addendum:

Oops, sorry, a correction. I confused one point.

kp.ua is not the pro-western "ukrainska pravda" but "komsomolska pravda", a pro-russian Ukrainian news source.

[georgeg]

The situation in the Ukraine is a major event. The western MSM is not covering it for a number of reasons mainly ignorance of the geo politics and a fear of telling the truth.....

[MRW]

And Chrystia Freeland was playing to that constituency on GPS. The Liberals (Freehand MP) would love nothing better than to crack the decades-old Conservative party hold over Alberta with this issue. Their national election is is about six months. Alberta has a *huge* Ukrainian (and French Canadian) population. Freehand was born in a small town in Northern Alberta. After WWII, those Ukrainian refugees who had sponsorship went to Montreal and Toronto. The lessers were shipped to Alberta. (It even looks like the Ukraine.) Her mother was on that train.

The Ukrainians in Alberta were very conservative fiscally, still are. Socially, there were not, they were more than liberal, although access to Fox News seems to have changed that markedly. The reason for the Conservative party hold over Alberta is fiscal responsibility, and it is a direct result of WWII. The Hungarians showed up in 1956. The Czechs in 1968. They have strong family memories of the war.

[MRW]

Or Zakheim.

[MRW]

I don't know if anyone has published this link. It bears repeating. DO NOT MISS the translator's comments. He also brings up what everyone in the MSM does not know; namely, what the Sept 2014 Minsk Protocol promised.

"We are facing a total war"--Hollande
http://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/02/we-are-facing-total-war-hollande.html

"But then Kerry seems to have suddenly remembered (after all these months!) that the Minsk Protocol also makes Ukraine responsible for providing the Donbass with a special status, something that Kiev has conspicuously failed to do (not that it took seriously any other requirements of the Minsk Protocol)."

[MRW]

Autocorrect changed Freeland's name to Freehand. I caught the first as it happened, but not the rest.

[anna-marina]

Could somebody comment on this recent posting about a Nuland's assistant and fake money? It sounds like a fantasy, but perhaps the incompetence of the opportunistic bunch at White House did indeed produce the scandalous situation:
http://benjaminfulford.net/2015/02/07/breaking-news-from-my-russian-sources/
Excerpt: "Germans have arrested Victoria Nuland’s assistant, who in addition, is an employee of Vanguard Corporation, with almost a billion of high quality fake dollars, printed by Vanguard Corporation. This employee (is a member of the State Department), and now, during his interrogations, he “put under bus” Vanguard Corporation with all of its companies and “putting under bus” Nuland, McCain, Kerry, Brennan and others…
He testified how the Vanguard Corporation has printed billions of high quality fake dollars and paid to mercenaries in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Libya, etc and paid mercenaries of Greystone and ISIS. He testifies about connections and oil deals between Vanguard Corporation and ISIS."
"In February, Ukraine’s position has become critical because they cannot pay the new prices for Russian gas. EU, especially the Germans, tried to act as arbitrators. Then from this bitch Susan Rice order came to us directly from Nuland that snipers must create “a bit of panic.”
On the day after that Ukraine has a new government, chosen mainly Nuland and John McCain from the National Republican Institute.
When the US administration recognize that the snipers were trained NATO (in Poland – TV), and the whole operation was organized by Vanguard, the CIA and the State Department – Obama almost had a heart attack."

[Aka]

confusedponderer,
I'm not sure "childish" is the most appropriate word here. Their thinking is childish but their actions are "insane" or "dumb" (not which one fits them).

This reminds me of the words of a certain German general about "dumb and ambitions" being dangerous.

[bth]

Col. the link referenced by anna-marina from Benjamin Fulford appears to be bogus and inflammatory. I believe it is a disinformation piece. I recommend her posting on this thread be deleted.

[Adam L Silverman]

Anna-Marina,

Every report, for lack of a better term, all reference a single source: Benjamin Fulford. There's not a single wire service - AP, Reuters, AFP, news media report - BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, McClatchy, Christian Science Monitor, NY Times, etc, or news weekly's website - Der Spiegel, Newsweek, etc that are reporting this. I don't even see anything that links back to any of the Russian news sources, no matter how captured they might be by the Kremlin. While it may simply be that Mr. Fulford, whoever he is, has a tip that is also an accurate scoop, I'd be very leery of a single report, sourced to the author's unnamed "Russian source". I wouldn't put too much stock in this, especially as the central portion of the story makes little logical sense. I'm no fan of the neo-Cons or those that seem to subscribe to their ideological view of the world (or in this case are married into a prominent neo-Con family), but if it seems to good to be true, it most likely is.

[The Twisted Genius]

IMHO all these talks ill not stop the civil war in Ukraine and they will certainly not force Russia to give up Crimea. That goes for all present and future economic sanctions, as well. Only if Putin decides to close off the flow of military supplies to Novorossiya, will the DNR and LNR forces stop their offensive and return to the defense. Putin will only do that to avoid a world war. Barring that, they will slowly liberate all of the Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts. The Kiev junta will not survive. Peace and sanity will slowly return to the region. The neocons Obama's witches will have to suck it up and look elsewhere to cause mayhem. If the U.S. sends armaments to Ukraine, they will eventually end up in the arms of Novorossiya and their victory will be hastened.