Posted on 03/14/2014 2:43:01 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans
Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC March 5, 2014 Share on facebookShare on twitterShare As Russia spins a false narrative to justify its illegal actions in Ukraine, the world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since Dostoyevsky wrote, The formula two times two equals five is not without its attractions.
Below are 10 of President Vladimir Putins recent claims justifying Russian aggression in the Ukraine, followed by the facts that his assertions ignore or distort.
1. Mr. Putin says: Russian forces in Crimea are only acting to protect Russian military assets. It is citizens defense groups, not Russian forces, who have seized infrastructure and military facilities in Crimea.
The Facts: Strong evidence suggests that members of Russian security services are at the heart of the highly organized anti-Ukraine forces in Crimea. While these units wear uniforms without insignia, they drive vehicles with Russian military license plates and freely identify themselves as Russian security forces when asked by the international media and the Ukrainian military. Moreover, these individuals are armed with weapons not generally available to civilians.
2. Mr. Putin says: Russias actions fall within the scope of the 1997 Friendship Treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
The Facts: The 1997 agreement requires Russia to respect Ukraines territorial integrity. Russias military actions in Ukraine, which have given them operational control of Crimea, are in clear violation of Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty.
3. Mr. Putin says: The opposition failed to implement the February 21 agreement with former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
The Facts: The February 21 agreement laid out a plan in which the Rada, or Parliament, would pass a bill to return Ukraine to its 2004 Constitution, thus returning the country to a constitutional system centered around its parliament. Under the terms of the agreement, Yanukovych was to sign the enacting legislation within 24 hours and bring the crisis to a peaceful conclusion. Yanukovych refused to keep his end of the bargain. Instead, he packed up his home and fled, leaving behind evidence of wide-scale corruption.
4. Mr. Putin says: Ukraines government is illegitimate. Yanukovych is still the legitimate leader of Ukraine.
The Facts: On March 4, President Putin himself acknowledged the reality that Yanukovych has no political future. After Yanukovych fled Ukraine, even his own Party of Regions turned against him, voting to confirm his withdrawal from office and to support the new government. Ukraines new government was approved by the democratically elected Ukrainian Parliament, with 371 votes more than an 82% majority. The interim government of Ukraine is a government of the people, which will shepherd the country toward democratic elections on May 25th elections that will allow all Ukrainians to have a voice in the future of their country.
5. Mr. Putin says: There is a humanitarian crisis and hundreds of thousands are fleeing Ukraine to Russia and seeking asylum.
The Facts: To date, there is absolutely no evidence of a humanitarian crisis. Nor is there evidence of a flood of asylum-seekers fleeing Ukraine for Russia. International organizations on the ground have investigated by talking with Ukrainian border guards, who also refuted these claims. Independent journalists observing the border have also reported no such flood of refugees.
6. Mr. Putin says: Ethnic Russians are under threat.
The Facts: Outside of Russian press and Russian state television, there are no credible reports of any ethnic Russians being under threat. The new Ukrainian government placed a priority on peace and reconciliation from the outset. President Oleksandr Turchynov refused to sign legislation limiting the use of the Russian language at regional level. Ethnic Russians and Russian speakers have filed petitions attesting that their communities have not experienced threats. Furthermore, since the new government was established, calm has returned to Kyiv. There has been no surge in crime, no looting, and no retribution against political opponents.
7. Mr. Putin says: Russian bases are under threat.
The Facts: Russian military facilities were and remain secure, and the new Ukrainian government has pledged to abide by all existing international agreements, including those covering Russian bases. It is Ukrainian bases in Crimea that are under threat from Russian military action.
8. Mr. Putin says: There have been mass attacks on churches and synagogues in southern and eastern Ukraine.
The Facts: Religious leaders in the country and international religious freedom advocates active in Ukraine have said there have been no incidents of attacks on churches. All of Ukraines church leaders, including representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, have expressed support for the new political leadership, calling for national unity and a period of healing. Jewish groups in southern and eastern Ukraine report that they have not seen an increase in anti-Semitic incidents.
9. Mr. Putin says: Kyiv is trying to destabilize Crimea.
The Facts: Ukraines interim government has acted with restraint and sought dialogue. Russian troops, on the other hand, have moved beyond their bases to seize political objectives and infrastructure in Crimea. The government in Kyiv immediately sent the former Chief of Defense to defuse the situation. Petro Poroshenko, the latest government emissary to pursue dialogue in Crimea, was prevented from entering the Crimean Rada.
10. Mr. Putin says: The Rada is under the influence of extremists or terrorists.
The Facts: The Rada is the most representative institution in Ukraine. Recent legislation has passed with large majorities, including from representatives of eastern Ukraine. Far-right wing ultranationalist groups, some of which were involved in open clashes with security forces during the EuroMaidan protests, are not represented in the Rada. There is no indication that the Ukrainian government would pursue discriminatory policies; on the contrary, they have publicly stated exactly the opposite.
Now there is a credible source of information!
The US State Department has so many facts, they are overflowing out the windows on the 2nd floor of the building. They have Kerryfacts, Hillaryfacts, facts that should only be released on Fridays after most media outlets are closed, and Carneyfacts.
You can get special deals on facts from the State Department. I think if you ask nice, they’re going for something like 3 for a quarter. They also have used and refurbed facts that carry the same factory warrantee as their new facts. You have to ask the clerks nicely. Subject to stock on hand of course. Oh, there might be a few little scratches or dings on them, but smart shoppers always ask for any used facts because the Dept of State stands behind them all the way. Be sure to present any coupons at the time of sale.
In this case they most certainly are, if you bother to keep up with the news on the ground over there instead of getting your news from RT, Russia's English language propaganda arm. A live thread on the matter:
http://www.reddit.com/live/3rgnbke2rai6hen7ciytwcxadi/
You can find a video of some ‘Nazis’ getting killed by the peaceful Pro-Russian demonstrators, who had formerly been chanting beneath a statue of Lenin, who speak with strong Russian Federation accent, who peacefully chant “get on your knees!” as they break through a police line to attack the violent Neo-Nazis who, for some odd reason, took the blows.
http://www.interpretermag.com/ukraine-liveblog-day-25-russia-preparing-to-invade-ukraine/
This is another live thread, lots of information from people who are actually there, unlike the Putinistas who cheer for the Nazi Putin from the comfort of their chair either here or in Moscow.
You have a photo of Putin’s squat toilet?
Your State Department propaganda didn’t work for your Muslim Brotherhood friends in Egypt, your Al Qaeda friends in Syria and it won’t work for your Bandera Nazi friends in Western Ukraine.
The author of this article is Victoria Nuland (but of course you didn’t want to mention that fact).
Controversy
2012 Benghazi attack
Nuland has emerged as one of the key figures who have been accused by various sources of initiating a cover up of the 2012 Benghazi attack.
2013 Nuland distributes cookies to protestors in Kiev
In December 2013 Nuland distributed cookies to protestors in Kiev’s Maidan Square. Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev criticised this as interference in the affairs of a sovereign state.
2014 Nuland’s controversial reference to the European Union
Le Monde newspaper has labeled the familiarity with which she referred to the leaders of the Ukrainian opposition (”Yats” for Arseniy Yatsenyuk, “Klitsch” for Vitali Klitschko) as clumsiness and even arrogance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Nuland
Good, since Ukraine isn't a Nazi country, though Putin has been pushing the idea through his propagandist arms for awhile now to justify his actions.
You're getting a little too excited over this. Are you posting from Moscow? I found the state department statement from one of the live threads I've posted on the thread. I included all the information therein. The only conspiracy is the one you're promoting.
Did you post Nuland’s propaganda press releases for Al Qaeda in Libya/Syria and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, too?
By the way, a google search for your photos takes me to far left conspiracy websites. Is that where you got them from? (I can play this stupid game too)
Yeah. Nuland’s disinformation on Benghazi on behalf of Hillary is a leftist conspiracy. And her propaganda in support of Al Qaeda in Syria and Muslim Brotherhood in Libya is leftist propaganda too.
When we want to read Obama Administration lies, we can just ask Putin to beat a talking points memo out of them with a nail-studded baseball bat.
And yet, the political parties being supported by Putin in Ukraine are socialist groups. Even the Pro-Russian group in Donestk who committed the violence last night were chanting Pro-Russian slogans beneath a statue of Lenin, and claimed they were there to protest the arrest of some fringe socialist guy who randomly declared himself governor.
Don’t assume that just because we have Obama, that this must mean Putin is an angel, and that what is happening to the Ukrainian people isn’t a crime.
Obviously, you missed the thousand page chapter in European history about "The Great Patriotic War", and the rancorous relations between the Nazis, who were represented on the ground in Russia by the Waffen-SS, and their Russian opponents.
There was no love lost, and millions of defeated German soldiers who were tainted with the "Nazi" label died in the Russian work camps.
I'm pretty sure Putin is not a "Nazi"...
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