Voice of Russia
February 13, 2014
Escalation of violence in Ukraine: martial law may be only option
John Robles
Photo: EPA
The situation in Ukraine continues to escalate as the western-backed Ukrainian opposition becomes militarized and grows bolder and more violent in their attempts to overthrow the government. It has been clear for some time that what is taking place in Ukraine can in no way be called civil unrest or a popular uprising, what is taking place is a clear western-backed-insurrection and an attempt to overthrow the government by force. The recent killing of a judge for passing a minor sentence on “oppositionists” who attempted to storm a government building shows that soon the government will have no choice but to use maximum force.
What may have begun as peaceful protests to a government decision to join the Russian-led Customs Union have escalated beyond all proportion due to the activation of the complete array of Western color revolution infrastructure that was already in place. This included threats against judges, police, officials and members of their families yet the government was forced to attempt to appease the thugs even offering amnesty and top government posts to the opposition.
Rather than cracking down as the government had every right to do, these moves at appeasement and attempts to enter into dialogue only emboldened the “opposition” further and led to the taking of government buildings, the militarization of the opposition and now the assassination of a judge, whose job it was to uphold the laws of Ukraine. With all this it appears that the time to declare a state of emergency and, if needed, martial law has already passed. Or will we wait until more judges and police officers are killed in the streets or burned alive or crippled for life?
Assassination of Judge
The latest ugly twist in the Ukrainian “Orange Revolution 2.0″ saga come as a young judge named Alexander Lobodenko was assassinated in the street near his home. Justice Lobodenko, who was only 34-years-old, was shot multiple times in the back by two assailants and left for dead.
Police are investigating and believe the execution style murder was carried out as a result of his judicial work, however they would not speculate on the exact suspects as the investigation is still ongoing.
According to local media on the 28th of January Judge Lobodenko sentenced two, so-called “pro-European activists” to two months of house arrest after they tried to break into the city hall building during a rally in Kremenchug days before.
President Yanukovich has since issued a decree amending legislation in order to better protect judges and their family members and hopefully other officials and police who have also been targeted by an increasingly violent and even armed “opposition”.
Militarized Opposition
The “opposition” in Ukraine continues to receive support from the West and this is not just innocuous doughnuts handed out by Victoria Nuland, witnesses and people on the ground report that the going rate for the hooligans is 30 euros a day, they are equipped with NATO issue tents and they are increasingly being supplied with military uniforms, helmets, body armor, shields, materials to make weapons with and even weaponhs themselves.
The latest addition to their arsenal, which also includes offices, headquarters, media support and the entire color revolution infrastructure long ago placed in Ukraine by the West includes fortifications to the barricades at Maidan Square.
Local media are citing what they are calling “one of the commandants of Maidan” lawmaker Stepan Kubiv as saying that: “… sand and empty bags have been purchased and are at storehouses in Kiev and will be delivered to Maidan in order to strengthen the barricades but that they will start strengthening the barricades at Hrushevskogo and Instytutska Streets firstly.”
Many, including myself, have been questioning why the proper authorities are letting this continue. It has obviously escalated to something far beyond peaceful protests and the government has the right, if not the primary responsibility, to defend the integrity of the state and maintain civil order.
Blackmail by the West
The western-backed protests have escalated to the point that the government has been forced to resign amid call that the elected President of Ukraine Vicotr Yanukovich step down. These unprecedented calls came almost immediately after he chose to sign agreements with Russia rather than an association agreement with the EU, and came from EU officials and were spread throughout the western media.
The outside pressure and that from Ukraine’s “opposition” has been so great that on January 31st President Yanukovich was forced to sign a bill declaring amnesty for protesters and canceling anti-demonstration laws on January 31, in effect giving the insurrectionists impunity and allowing them to do whatever they pleased.
Not only was it made crystal clear from the recent conversation released on the Internet between US “diplomat” Victoria Nuland and the US Ambassador to Ukraine, that the US is actively and almost completely transparently now, involved in attempting a coup in Ukraine and the overthrowing of the elected government to be replaced with hand-picked western puppets, but an array of other threats and statements from a broad range of western and NATO affiliated officials have also made it clear the West’s intent.
The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton has publically admitted that she clearly warned the Ukrainian leadership that the EU could: “… exert ‘all possible types of pressure on it’ and even publically stated when asked about sanctions against Ukraine during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament that: ‘…none of the options has been removed from the agenda.’”
We have to recall and underline that this all came about due to an EU association agreement. Ukraine said no to the EU, but as Victoria Nuland recently admitted the US has spent over $52 billion to “own” Ukraine and they will not take no for an answer.
Divide and Conquer
The divide and conquer strategy of the West in Ukraine is similar to what was planned for the Russian Federation and has already begun with the country effectively now operating as a federation. According to the Russian Minister/Counselor to Ukraine in Kiev Andrei Vorobyov, Ukraine has: “… already informally turned into a federation, as alternative government bodies have been set up in a number of regions.”
“I am sure that, regardless of political wishes, the country is developing toward federalization. Whether it will be formally stipulated by the constitution or whether it will formally remain to be a unitary state, but informally it is already a federation,” Mr. Vorobyov said at a debate titled the “Federalization of Ukraine: From Split to Unity”.
According Interfax Vorobyov stated that: “… the priority now is to resolve the crisis in a peaceful way, and Russia is interested in a peaceful settlement through negotiations.”
Government’s Hands Tied
It is clear that the authorities and the Security Services of Ukraine have been unable to deal with the threat to the state, for whatever reasons, and the situation has escalated to the point where the debate is now about sending in the armed forces. However the Defense Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Lebedev, in an interview with Interfax said that: “Under the law ‘On the Armed Forces of Ukraine,’ it is only possible if a state of emergency or martial law is introduced in the country. Under the Constitution, it may be introduced by a presidential decree and is subject to approval by the Verkhovna Rada, and currently there exists no such decree.”
When Will Enough be Enough?
The question now is how many more judges, police officers and members of the security forces are going to have to die before the western-backed insurrectionists, neo-nazi extremists and those who storm government buildings face the full wrath of the government that they are trying to overthrow?
A legitimate “opposition” exists in any country, it elects leaders, argues policy, holds peaceful demonstrations and works within the rules. They DO NOT receive funding and orders from foreign powers, set police on fire, shoot judges in the back, demand high government positions by force, cause instability and mayhem and seize government buildings. These are insurrectionists who only understand force and in reality there is only one cure.
Hopefully the “opposition” in Ukraine will finally see that force is not the way forward and enter into a peaceful dialogue with the government and the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine will no longer be under threat. The problem is one for the Ukrainian people to work out peacefully and outside interference must not be allowed, but the government does have a responsibility to the Ukrainian people and under the Ukrainian Constitution to guarantee the integrity of the state and the country. They do not have a responsibility to the US/NATO/EU to run their country as the West sees fit.
My thoughts are with the Ukrainian people.
The views and opinions above are my own. I can be reached at robles@ruvr.ru.