RUSSIA WANTS DEMOCRACY IN UKRAINE: COVERAGE FROM RT AND IZVESTIA

From RT (Russia Today) and Izvestia, globally recognized news outlets of the Russian Federation.

Voice of Detroit Editor’s Note: I recently announced that this paper is being devoted to issues regarding mass incarceration and police abuse in this country. But as a journalist for the past 22 years, I cannot stand by while the U.S. mainstream media shamelessly delivers coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war straight from the mouths of U.S. politicians and military leaders.

Some of hundreds at rally for 19-year-old dad Terrance Kellom, executed by Detroit/ICE police in April, 2015.

I was appalled when I tried to access RT (Russia Today) online and found the website is blocked to prevent the U.S. public from reading the other side. VOD is also a news outlet and feels an obligation to do what it can to tell the other side of the story.

VOD’s coverage of issues relating to prisoners and police brutality will continue. This includes objections to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plan to spend $40 million to force incarcerated human beings in the MDOC to wear wristband tethers to track their every move, while providing inadequate funds for the replacement of lead pipes in homes in Benton Harbor.

GPS prisoner/offender tracker

While millions, mostly Black people and others of color, and poor people languish in the concentration camps that are U.S. prisons, and while police murder and abuse of the same populations increases without pause, the U.S. continues to spend over half the federal budget on the military, and para-military funding of local police forces, rather than on health care for all, jobs, social services, and infrastructure needs.

It is now sending billions of our tax dollars to prop up the fascist government in Ukraine.

Above: In 2018, Max Blumenthal reported that the US has provided military assistance to the Azov Battalion, known as a bastion of neo-Nazism within the Ukrainian armed forces. He also discusses US and Israeli ties to the far-right government in Poland, where neo-Nazism is on the rise.

DEMOCRATIZATION OF UKRAINE

Photo: Izvestia

Under the title “Democratization of Ukraine,” Denis Denisov wrote in Izvestia about the direction of development Russia wants for its neighbor Ukraine. Denisov, Director of the Institute for Peacekeeping and Conflict Initiatives, Associate Professor at the Russian Government’s Financial University, said:

Denis Denisov

“After the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, two of its main objectives were announced: disarmament and the cleansing of the country from Nazism.

“With regard to the goal of disarming Ukraine, the situation is well understood, as it in fact requires a series of actions aimed at destroying the military infrastructure that Ukraine and NATO can use to attack Russia; the second objective, the cleansing of Ukraine from Nazism, has not yet received a clear and comprehensive explanation.

The term “de-Nazism” itself came into use after the end of World War II and was applied to operations in Germany, Austria and other countries. It was aimed at cleansing all areas of society from Nazi ideology. With regard to Ukraine, taking into account the specifics of the state, de-Nazism acquires a slightly different tone and, in fact, means a process of democratizing the country.

Pro-Russian protesters replace Ukrainian flag with Russian flags at Donetsk Oblast State Building March 1, 2014

Politically, this means that parties, public organizations, movements that proclaim and disseminate ideas of national exceptionalism, incite ethnic and religious hatred, and call for artificial restrictions on the linguistic, educational and scientific rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens must be banned and eliminated.

In the linguistic field, all restrictions on the use of Russian, as well as the languages of other national minorities (Hungarian, Polish, etc.), should be abolished. Ukraine is a multi-denominational country, and historically a large number of religions have lived on its territory. This area will be strictly protected from political influence and confrontation: freedom of belief for all, comprehensive and complete.

As with many other problems, Ukraine’s regions have traditionally enjoyed different foreign policy orientations. For the west of the country, there is a European orientation, and for the southeast the Eurasian orientation. At this level, the territories will have the opportunity, with the assistance of the central government, to make contact with those states and the areas of interest to them, in all aspects of life.

This article only reflects the opinion of the newspaper or the writer.

SITUATION IN DONBASS

PUTIN OUTLINED TO SCH OLZ THE APPROACHES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN THE MATTER OF THE OPERATION TO PROTECT THE DONBASS

Olaf Scholz/Vladimir Putin

IZVESTIA 4 march 2022, 18:50

Russian President Vladimir Putin during a conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz explained to him the Russian fundamental approaches in the context of a special operation to protect the Donbass. This was told on March 4 in the Kremlin.

“The main danger comes from neo-Nazi military formations that commit numerous war crimes using terrorist methods, deploying strike weapons in residential areas, cynically hiding behind the civilian population. At the same time, official Kiev does not fulfill its promises to stop this barbarism: in recent days, the number of such cases has been increasing, “the report says.

Putin once again stressed that the Russian military does not fight with the civilian population, but strikes only at military facilities.

Following the talks, the Russian president called on Scholz to influence the Kiev authorities for the speedy release and safe evacuation of foreigners. Putin confirmed that Russia is open to dialogue with the Ukrainian side, as well as with all those who want peace in Ukraine, but on condition that all Russian demands are met.

The German Chancellor during the conversation called on Moscow to immediately stop the special operation to protect the Donbass. He also noted the need to ensure the access of humanitarian aid to the area of hostilities, the official representative of the Cabinet of Ministers of Germany Steffen Hebestreit told reporters.

On February 17, 2022, the situation in the region escalated. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) announced a general mobilization, the evacuation of civilians to the territory of Russia and asked for help.

Russian troops in Ukraine/Photo: Izvestia

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the DPR and LPR, as well as treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance, which, among other things, provide for the granting of the right to build military bases on the territory of the parties and the provision of military assistance to each other.

On February 24, the Russian leader announced the launch of a special operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass. Western countries that disagree with its implementation began to introduce new anti-Russian sanctions.

For more relevant videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch on the Izvestia TV channel.

PUTIN URGED THE UKRAINIAN MILITARY NOT TO FOLLOW CRIMINAL ORDERS

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24 February 2022, 08:32

Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a televised address that all Ukrainian soldiers who refuse to follow Kiev’s criminal orders and lay down their arms will be able to leave the combat zone without hindrance.