Fra Hughes ✒ The threat of Ukraine reoccupying the Donbas autonomous regions and the possible massacre of the Russian-speaking Russian citizens of those two breakaway republics forced Putin's hand.

First Published In
Al Mayadeen English.

Well well well, how did we ever end up in this situation? Another war in Europe threatens to engulf the wider region.


The Russians claim to be engaged in a limited operation, to disarm a neo-Nazi-led regime that was ushered into power through the Euro Maidan protests of 2014.

A coup supported financed armed and welcomed by its surrogate parents in Washington and Brussels.

A coup that the people of Donbas and Crimea, who suffered appallingly under the fascist Nazi regime, during World War 2, having watched over 40 trade unionists and anti-Maidan protestor's systematically beaten shot and burned to death in the Odessa Trade Union building, declared to the world their refusal to live under a fascist installed undemocratic junta.

After eight years of continued shelling by the Ukrainian forces in violation of the agreed ceasefires under the Minsk Protocols, and following the rearming of the Ukrainian nationalist forces to include the neo Nazi Azov battalion and other extreme-right elements, President Biden has been fuelling the violence on the line of contact, to force Russia and Putin into taking a stand.

The threat of Ukraine reoccupying the Donbas autonomous regions and the possible massacre of the Russian-speaking Russian citizens of those two breakaway republics forced Putin's hand.

America had set a trap

A bear trap and Ukraine was the bait.

Once Putin the Russian government and their armed forces agreed to move into Ukraine, it's become an all-in operation.

The poker game is over and everyone is now showing their hand.

America NATO and the EU are standing back hoping the Ukrainian army can hold off the Russian forces while they are resupplied with ever more sophisticated anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons.

Zelensky has reportedly fled to Poland and is prepared to fight to the last drop of Ukrainian non-millionaire's blood.

The "special operations " being carried out by the Russian military assisted by the people's militia of Lugansk and Donetsk has liberated large swathes of Ukrainian territory from the regime in Kiev.

The winners in this conflict are the American military-industrial complex.

In their proxy war with Russia - which they have continued since the fall of communism and the Soviet Union in 1991 - they are literally making a killing, in profits.

Selling billions of dollars of weapons to Ukraine to face a threat America had largely created.

The American energy companies will now supply western Europe with oil and gas at vastly overinflated prices.

The major threat to the American capitalist is not a resurgent capitalist Russia.

The real threat is a resurgent unified Europe.

Under Putin, two decades ago, Russia explored the idea of joining NATO, had that succeeded the war we are witnessing now would never have happened.

America needs a divided Europe in order to remain the global superpower that it is today.

A unified Europe, just imagine for one moment what that could have achieved.

NATO may have very well ceased to exist and the European army that the EU has spoken about for over a decade may have already become a reality.

America set the trap but perhaps they deliberately left Russia no choice?

Having gone into Ukraine, it remains to be seen how they will leave.

Simply disarming the Ukrainian fascists and then leaving Ukraine with Zelensky the American puppet in place will result in events coming full circle, with NATO resupplying Ukraine, we will be back to square one.

If they occupy Ukraine and then hold elections to replace Zelensky a guerilla war in western Ukraine is a distinct possibility.

That leaves a third option and one which may work.

The division of Ukraine.

Eastern Ukraine to join Russia and western Ukraine to stay with the west.

Russian military units to be on the front line and any aggression from the west to be met with a full Russian response.

I am not in favor of nor do I advocate war.

This war had been coming since Russia under Putin began to stand up to NATO and American forces trying to isolate and marginalize the Russian Federation.

The losers are the innocent civilians in their millions forced to flee both the Russian advance and the Kiev regime shelling of the Donbas.

America has forced a permanent split on the European continent, reinforced its political-economic and military supremacy in the region, and made billions of dollars of profits for its shareholders and its political elite. As a bonus, it has stopped Europe from emerging as a potential economic rival to America.

America one, Europe nil.

History has shown Russia to be the graveyard of fascism in Europe and it may fulfill that role once again.

The times we are in are very reminiscent of the years prior to the outbreak of the second world war.

In 1941, Germany declared war on Russia.

They were not alone. Hungary, Slovakia, Finland, Italy, and Romania also declared war on Russia and supplied hundreds of thousands of fascist troops to occupy Russia.

Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine and Romania, among others, all have a burgeoning fascist sector whose ideology harks back to Nazi Germany.

This nationalism has been encouraged by America as a hotbed, not for anti-communist rhetoric but anti-Russian sentiment.

Russia is the enemy?

Why? I cannot say.

Russia is run by oligarchs and billionaires just like Europe and America.

It is the elite who have us fighting each other.

Three not so wise men have us on the brink of a nuclear war precipice.

The good, the bad and the ugly

This is not a spaghetti western - this is real western politics.

Putin,' the good' because I believe he is genuinely trying to prevent a massacre in Donbas and protect Russia from Nato aggression.

Biden,' the bad' after all, this has all been orchestrated by him and his administration. This is a possible 2nd Afghanistan all over again for Russia.

They were drawn into the conflict by America only to end up in a Vietnam-type military quagmire.

If Biden gets his way violence will continue in Ukraine while he sucks Europe dry of its wealth leaving its citizens broke hungry and cold.

Zelensky,' the ugly' what kind of a leader follows American dictates and allows his country to be torn asunder. Firstly by the killing of his own people in the Donbas who he claims are Ukrainian citizens.

Then he allowed his country to be drawn into a financial meltdown, buying weapons of war to build up its army in the absence of building up the economy.

Instead of holding talks to avoid a crisis he killed people in Donbas and threatened them with an invasion.

Russia may well have averted a coming war in Europe by invading Ukraine now before the fascists reached the Russian borders.

Belarus which is still under threat of an American financed destabilization color revolution regime change operation must be on alert.

The capitalist, corporate-sponsored American administration never sleeps, as it tries to maintain its place as the number one superpower.

It stays there by forcing war on its perceived self-selected enemies, selling weapons of war to its allies and demanding a place at the head of the dinner table like some mafioso godfather making the world an offer it cannot refuse.

I will finish with a quote from the former coup leading Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (From Sputnik news on 2014):

The most offensive of the president’s remarks, made in a speech on October 23 at Odessa’s Opera House and captured on video, noted that:

we [in Ukraine] will have work; they – [in the Donbas] won’t. We will have pensions – they won’t. We will care for our children and pensioners – they won’t. Our children will go to school, to kindergartens – their children will sit in cellars. They don’t know how to organize or do anything. This, ultimately, is how we will win this war.

8 years later there is open war in the country.

These are the people who do not want peace.

These are the people who want control or complete subjugation.

𒍨The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al Mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.

Fra Hughes is a columnist with Al Mayadeen.

Ukraine ✑ The Bear Trap

Fra Hughes ✒ The threat of Ukraine reoccupying the Donbas autonomous regions and the possible massacre of the Russian-speaking Russian citizens of those two breakaway republics forced Putin's hand.

First Published In
Al Mayadeen English.

Well well well, how did we ever end up in this situation? Another war in Europe threatens to engulf the wider region.


The Russians claim to be engaged in a limited operation, to disarm a neo-Nazi-led regime that was ushered into power through the Euro Maidan protests of 2014.

A coup supported financed armed and welcomed by its surrogate parents in Washington and Brussels.

A coup that the people of Donbas and Crimea, who suffered appallingly under the fascist Nazi regime, during World War 2, having watched over 40 trade unionists and anti-Maidan protestor's systematically beaten shot and burned to death in the Odessa Trade Union building, declared to the world their refusal to live under a fascist installed undemocratic junta.

After eight years of continued shelling by the Ukrainian forces in violation of the agreed ceasefires under the Minsk Protocols, and following the rearming of the Ukrainian nationalist forces to include the neo Nazi Azov battalion and other extreme-right elements, President Biden has been fuelling the violence on the line of contact, to force Russia and Putin into taking a stand.

The threat of Ukraine reoccupying the Donbas autonomous regions and the possible massacre of the Russian-speaking Russian citizens of those two breakaway republics forced Putin's hand.

America had set a trap

A bear trap and Ukraine was the bait.

Once Putin the Russian government and their armed forces agreed to move into Ukraine, it's become an all-in operation.

The poker game is over and everyone is now showing their hand.

America NATO and the EU are standing back hoping the Ukrainian army can hold off the Russian forces while they are resupplied with ever more sophisticated anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons.

Zelensky has reportedly fled to Poland and is prepared to fight to the last drop of Ukrainian non-millionaire's blood.

The "special operations " being carried out by the Russian military assisted by the people's militia of Lugansk and Donetsk has liberated large swathes of Ukrainian territory from the regime in Kiev.

The winners in this conflict are the American military-industrial complex.

In their proxy war with Russia - which they have continued since the fall of communism and the Soviet Union in 1991 - they are literally making a killing, in profits.

Selling billions of dollars of weapons to Ukraine to face a threat America had largely created.

The American energy companies will now supply western Europe with oil and gas at vastly overinflated prices.

The major threat to the American capitalist is not a resurgent capitalist Russia.

The real threat is a resurgent unified Europe.

Under Putin, two decades ago, Russia explored the idea of joining NATO, had that succeeded the war we are witnessing now would never have happened.

America needs a divided Europe in order to remain the global superpower that it is today.

A unified Europe, just imagine for one moment what that could have achieved.

NATO may have very well ceased to exist and the European army that the EU has spoken about for over a decade may have already become a reality.

America set the trap but perhaps they deliberately left Russia no choice?

Having gone into Ukraine, it remains to be seen how they will leave.

Simply disarming the Ukrainian fascists and then leaving Ukraine with Zelensky the American puppet in place will result in events coming full circle, with NATO resupplying Ukraine, we will be back to square one.

If they occupy Ukraine and then hold elections to replace Zelensky a guerilla war in western Ukraine is a distinct possibility.

That leaves a third option and one which may work.

The division of Ukraine.

Eastern Ukraine to join Russia and western Ukraine to stay with the west.

Russian military units to be on the front line and any aggression from the west to be met with a full Russian response.

I am not in favor of nor do I advocate war.

This war had been coming since Russia under Putin began to stand up to NATO and American forces trying to isolate and marginalize the Russian Federation.

The losers are the innocent civilians in their millions forced to flee both the Russian advance and the Kiev regime shelling of the Donbas.

America has forced a permanent split on the European continent, reinforced its political-economic and military supremacy in the region, and made billions of dollars of profits for its shareholders and its political elite. As a bonus, it has stopped Europe from emerging as a potential economic rival to America.

America one, Europe nil.

History has shown Russia to be the graveyard of fascism in Europe and it may fulfill that role once again.

The times we are in are very reminiscent of the years prior to the outbreak of the second world war.

In 1941, Germany declared war on Russia.

They were not alone. Hungary, Slovakia, Finland, Italy, and Romania also declared war on Russia and supplied hundreds of thousands of fascist troops to occupy Russia.

Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine and Romania, among others, all have a burgeoning fascist sector whose ideology harks back to Nazi Germany.

This nationalism has been encouraged by America as a hotbed, not for anti-communist rhetoric but anti-Russian sentiment.

Russia is the enemy?

Why? I cannot say.

Russia is run by oligarchs and billionaires just like Europe and America.

It is the elite who have us fighting each other.

Three not so wise men have us on the brink of a nuclear war precipice.

The good, the bad and the ugly

This is not a spaghetti western - this is real western politics.

Putin,' the good' because I believe he is genuinely trying to prevent a massacre in Donbas and protect Russia from Nato aggression.

Biden,' the bad' after all, this has all been orchestrated by him and his administration. This is a possible 2nd Afghanistan all over again for Russia.

They were drawn into the conflict by America only to end up in a Vietnam-type military quagmire.

If Biden gets his way violence will continue in Ukraine while he sucks Europe dry of its wealth leaving its citizens broke hungry and cold.

Zelensky,' the ugly' what kind of a leader follows American dictates and allows his country to be torn asunder. Firstly by the killing of his own people in the Donbas who he claims are Ukrainian citizens.

Then he allowed his country to be drawn into a financial meltdown, buying weapons of war to build up its army in the absence of building up the economy.

Instead of holding talks to avoid a crisis he killed people in Donbas and threatened them with an invasion.

Russia may well have averted a coming war in Europe by invading Ukraine now before the fascists reached the Russian borders.

Belarus which is still under threat of an American financed destabilization color revolution regime change operation must be on alert.

The capitalist, corporate-sponsored American administration never sleeps, as it tries to maintain its place as the number one superpower.

It stays there by forcing war on its perceived self-selected enemies, selling weapons of war to its allies and demanding a place at the head of the dinner table like some mafioso godfather making the world an offer it cannot refuse.

I will finish with a quote from the former coup leading Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (From Sputnik news on 2014):

The most offensive of the president’s remarks, made in a speech on October 23 at Odessa’s Opera House and captured on video, noted that:

we [in Ukraine] will have work; they – [in the Donbas] won’t. We will have pensions – they won’t. We will care for our children and pensioners – they won’t. Our children will go to school, to kindergartens – their children will sit in cellars. They don’t know how to organize or do anything. This, ultimately, is how we will win this war.

8 years later there is open war in the country.

These are the people who do not want peace.

These are the people who want control or complete subjugation.

𒍨The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al Mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.

Fra Hughes is a columnist with Al Mayadeen.

13 comments:

  1. Fra's fantasies should be a special module in any school of journalism's course on the misinformation/disinformation economy.

    Alternatively they could be quarantined in Bates and Wilkes Central.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Replies
    1. In the context of Fra's piece Putin’s Megaphone by George Monbiot challenges the type of narrative he offers.

      Delete
    2. I wonder if it is better to come back with ideas Steve rather than these type of put downs. I said the same to Barry last week. I get that this is part of the rough and tumble of blog discussion and we are not shrinking violets. I don't believe that either of you are "insulting" the author in a way of a personal slur and that you are just using a coarser way to say nonsense. Maybe I am wrong on this. I'll ask Henry Joy - he has a sober and measured approach to these things.

      Delete
    3. Sober and measured by times ... and like everyone else, sometimes emotionally hijacked too!

      My own thoughts on this:
      Comments posted by readers, and as often stated by the gaffer, are ideally opportunities for the testing of those ideas and positions. By their very nature strongly held positions are going to evoke strong responses. Sometimes they'll be reactionary and emotive. C'est la vie.

      Fran's pieces will be read by many as hagiographies and others will consider them diatribes.
      All of which is somewhat a shame as he has some unique first hand experiences which, if formatted and presented in a less charged and less partisan style might allow us understand more clearly what are in truth very complex issues.

      (In earlier times on the Quill during heated exchanges we were reminded on occasion 'it's big boy rules here'. There's probably as much, if not perhaps not more merit in that type of moderation than there is in an over-coddling of authors and commentators).

      Delete
    4. Fra,

      I am not attacking you I am opining that what you say is factually wrong on several points, not least of which is the rumour you espouse of Zelensky's supposed 'fleeing' to Poland.

      And this on the day when Russia bombed a Childrens hospital and Maternity ward murdering many.

      Disgusting.

      Delete
    5. Henry Joy - thanks for that. I think you are close to the mark. There has been a degree of over caution - not about what is said but how it is said. Sometimes (not in this instance) tone becomes bullying and, bullying is meant to drive freedom of opinion off the road. But the more I reflect on the above exchange, neither Barry nor Steve are out of line. Telling someone their views are nonsense is hardly bullying or insult. It might offend but we observe the protocol of there being no right not to be offended.

      Delete
  3. I believe they are insulting and i believe they are nothing more than keyboard cowards. I've read their comments on both my opinion pieces.I offered my insights into the origins of the conflict I've been on the ground in Donbas. You have offered nothing but insults and the tone of the bully. Come and insult me to my face myface and I will respond in kind. Cowards and knaves crawl back under your rocks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nothing personal Fra but George Monbiot's piece referred to about takes apart the narrative that you and Putin apologists such as John Pilger, Stop the War coalition and much of the contemporary European far right.

      If you are going to completely whitewash the multiple crimes of Putin and Assad you are going to get a reaction although personal abuse is never acceptable. I always post in my name and do not conceal my identity on Facebook and Twitter.

      I was the target of vitriolic abuse by somebody skulking behind a moniker because I challenged the lies that they were regurgitating about the Syrian White Knights. It didn't affect me in the slightest because I can always stand over what I write and comment on as I do not disguise my identity.

      Delete
    2. Fra - expressing a view that your opinion is nonsense is fair comment. It doesn't have to be a correct interpretation of your opinion. You have the right to refute claims that seek to depict your view as rubbish. There is no bullying involved. Any bullying comments will go straight to Bates & Wilkes. Barry expressed a view that your pieces can go straight to Bates & Wilkes. He is entitled to make the request but we have no intention of agreeing to it.
      This is what blog discussion is - robust and can be sometimes be crude. Frankie gets similar things said about his views but he takes it on the chin. My advice to you is do the same. Duel in the sun type stances don't work in these circumstances.

      Delete
  4. I was simply offering my opinion having been on the ground and having friends in both Republics.if people dislike or disagree with my thoughts that is fine denigrating me or what I've said is not. constructive argument or rebuttal is preferred to insults and disparaging remarks. Take it on the chin lol ask your commentators to have a modicum of respect for others. George Monibot, millions of people agree with me millions disagree.I am not promoting any ideology I am simply speaking my truth as I see it. Atleadt it's an honest perspective. I've been to Syria 5 times and people call me an Assad apologist but its OK about palestine where I've been 4 times to the westbank and on 2 convoys to gaza and they cannot see the paralellls sweet Jesus help us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fra - people are entitled to treat your opinion in terms you might find denigrating. It goes with free inquiry. If they were denigrating you in a personal sense that would be different. If they called you a piece of shit, that would be out of order. If they call your ideas shit that is not out of order, crude as it might be, People have rights, opinions don't. People are asked to respect others but not the ideas of others.

      Delete
  5. Firstly, the bombing of the childrens hospital must be condemed by all sane people. Secondly, in response to this bombing, have the Russians used, as do the USA when they bomb hospitals, "collateral damage"?

    Are people who write Fras comments off as "fantacy" suggesting Poroshenko did not make the comments published in Sputnik News 2014? Can you provide a source to say his comments, about having "pensions and they wont" and Donbas kids sitting in "cellars" instead of going to school were never said? Sounded pretty convincing to me.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

    ReplyDelete