Stephen Lendman

RINF Alternative News

Claims about Russia invading Ukraine are fabricated. Big Lies proliferate. On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki lied saying

“we’re seeing…a pattern of escalating aggression in Ukraine from the Russians and Russian-backed separatists.” “And it’s clear that Russia has not only stepped up its presence in eastern Ukraine and intervened directly with combat forces — armored vehicles, artillery, and surface-to-air systems — and is actively fighting Ukrainian forces as well as playing a direct supporting role to the separatist proxies and mercenaries.”

The White House is considering a range of options, she said. “We have additional tools and sanctions that we could certainly choose to put in place.”

US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, repeated the Big Lie. His Twitter messages falsely claim “an increasing number of Russian troops are intervening directly in fighting on Ukrainian territory.”

Russia sent its newest air defense systems, he claims. At an August 28 emergency Security Council meeting, US envoy Samantha Power lied saying:

“Instead of listening, instead of heeding the demands of the international community and the rules of the international order, at every step, Russia has come before this Council to say everything except the truth.” “It has manipulated. It has obfuscated. It has outright lied. So we have learned to measure Russia by its actions and not by its words.”

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov debunked spurious invasion claims,” saying:

“It’s not the first time we’ve heard wild guesses, though facts have never been presented so far.” “There have been reports about satellite imagery exposing Russian troop movements.” “They turned out to be images from video games. The latest accusations happen to be much the same quality.” “We’ll react by remaining persistent in our policies to stay bloodshed and give a start to the nationwide dialogue and negotiations about the future of Ukraine, with participation of all Ukrainian regions and political forces, something that was agreed upon in Geneva back in April and in Berlin (in August), yet what is being so deliberately evaded by our Western partners now.”

On Friday, Vladimir Putin noted clear self-defense forces success against Kiev’s military.

At the same time, Donbass area fighting poses a “grave danger” to beleaguered residents, he said.

He and Lavrov deplore war. They’ve all-out for peaceful conflict resolution since fighting erupted in April.

“(O)nce again (he) call(ed) on the Ukrainian authorities to immediately stop military actions, cease fire, sit down at the negotiating table with Donbass representatives, and resolve all the accumulated problems exclusively via peaceful means.”

Moscow’s envoy Vitaly Churkin accused Kiev of waging war on its own people.

“Ukrainian forces in defiance of all norms of international humanitarian law and just moral principles are indiscriminately attacking cities, residential areas and infrastructures,” he explained.

His comments came on the same day Kiev forces attacked four buses of refugees seeking refuge in Russia. Its dirty war shows no mercy.

The New York Times is America’s lead source of media misinformation and propaganda.

On Thursday, it headlined “Ukraine Leader Says ‘Huge Loads of Arms’ Pour in From Russia,” saying:

“…Russian forces are on the move in Eastern Ukraine…” Its president, Petro Poroshenko, accused Russia “of an invasion to aid the separatists.” “(H)is national security council ordered mandatory conscription to help counter what he called an ‘extremely difficult’ threat.”

Poroshenko lied claiming

“Columns of heavy artillery, huge loads of arms and regular Russian servicemen (invaded) Ukraine from Russia through the uncontrolled border area.” “Mercenaries, along with regular servicemen, (are) trying to overrun positions held by the Ukrainian military.”

So-called NATO satellite images were cited as proof. Its web site claimed they show “Russian combat troops inside Ukraine.”

Comprehensive Crisis and Operations Management Centre director Brigadier General Nico Tak lied claiming:

“Over the past two weeks we have noted a significant escalation in both the level and sophistication of Russia’s military interference in Ukraine.” “The satellite images released today provide additional evidence that Russian combat soldiers, equipped with sophisticated heavy weaponry, are operating inside Ukraine’s sovereign territory.”

Fact: No Russian invasion occurred.

Fact: Claims otherwise are fake.

Fact: MSM regurgitate official Big Lies.

Fact: Commercial satellite operator DigitalGlobe provided the satellite images.

Fact: Both sides use Russian weapons.

Fact: Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Prime Minister Alexander Zakharchenko said around three to four thousand Russian volunteers are aiding self-defense forces.

Fact: Many are retired Russian servicemen, he said.

Fact: Others on active duty used leave time to help “us struggle for our freedom.”

Fact: Moscow didn’t send them.

Fact: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ukrainian monitoring team and Russia’s representative said no Russian forces are present on Ukraine’s border.

Fact: Claims of a Russian invasion are false, they said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry exposed a Forgotten Regiment (FR) Russian veterans organization hoax about Russian units involved in Southeast Ukraine fighting.

According to Ministry spokesman General Igor Konashenkov, FR claims have “no relation to reality.”

“We have studied the contents of this hoax, and are obliged to disappoint its overseas authors and their few sympathizers in Russia, who have joined forces to publish their ‘revelation…’ ”

The “combat ready” infantry, artillery, paratrooper and reconnaissance exist. They’re engaged in routine training exercises in different parts of Russia.

They’re not involved in Southeastern Ukraine conflict. Claims otherwise are spurious.

According to Moscow’s permanent EU representative Vladimir Chizhov:

NATO, Washington and EU states presented no evidence of Russian military involvement in Ukraine.

Misinformation substitutes for hard truths. Often it’s disseminated ahead of important EU meetings.

This time it precedes an August 30 Brussels summit. Expect more sanctions to follow. Expect Russia to respond in kind.

Washington Post editors are militantly anti-Russian. On August 28, they headlined “The West must make Mr. Putin pay for his aggression.”

They lied claiming Putin

“sen(t) Russian forces openly into Ukraine in the past 48 hours.” They called doing so “a watershed…” “If Mr. Putin does not pay a high price for this naked, if still cynically denied, attack on his neighbor, the precedent could sow instability (from) the Baltic Sea…to the South China Sea…, they said.”

Despite no evidence whatever of Russian revanchist aims, they accused Putin of wanting control over Southeastern Ukraine.

“(T)he United States and its allies cannot afford to let Mr. Putin break the rules. It is time to hit Russia with the full brunt of financial sanctions” and much more, they said.

They want Ukraine provided with arms and intelligence. They want military related sales to Russia halted. They want NATO strengthened.

They ludicrously claimed nations worldwide “rely on US leadership and its commitment to the rule of law…”

No country more systematically violates it. None more egregiously. None poses a greater threat to humanity.

Don’t expect WaPo editors to explain. Or their Wall Street Journal counterparts. On August 28, theyheadlined “Putin Marches Ahead.”

The joined with other MSM scoundrels claiming Russia invaded Ukraine. In February, they accused Moscow of “grabbing Crimea.”

They ignored near Crimean unanimity to join Russia. They now accused Russian forces of “firing artillery at Ukrainian positions from both (their own) territory and inside Ukraine.”

They claim Putin’s strategy is “to open a land bridge between Russia and Crimea.” He wants its economy “knit more closely to Russia’s,” they said.

“(E)scalation…open(ed) up another front for the Ukrainian military as it tries to regain control over the east.” “Kiev forces will now have to fight on a third front against Russian soldiers and armor.”

Journal editors want a “serious response to this serious challenge to Europe’s political order…” They barely stopped short of urging Obama to declare war.

The risk of direct US-led NATO confrontation grows. Doing so belligerently is madness.

It risks the unthinkable. It risks potential global war. Deescalating crisis conditions matters most.

Washington’s imperial agenda undermines it. The worst of all possible outcomes may follow.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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