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Ukraine crisis: Security guard job was boring, says 'prime minister' of Donetsk
telegraph.co.uk ^ | April 20, 2014 | Roland Oliphant

Posted on 04/20/2014 9:39:34 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe

For the past fortnight, Denis Pushilin, the prime minister of the temporary government of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk has presided, at least ostensibly, over a pro-Russian uprising that has seized town halls, police stations and other buildings in about ten towns across eastern Ukraine.

Few people in Donetsk had heard of the diminutive, smartly dressed 32-year-old businessman until he emerged as a leader of the group that occupied the regional administration building here two weeks ago.

Born and raised in Makeyevka, just outside Donetsk, he graduated from the local engineering college and came out of his national service in the Ukrainian army unsure what to do.

"I tried being a security guard, but it didn't last a month. It was boring," he said.There followed stints in advertising and a period at a regional confectionary and baked products distribution firm, before he got involved with MMM, the company behind a notorious pyramid scheme that deprived thousands of Russian investors of up to $10 million in the early 1990s (he denies any wrong doing).

The city's residents have all heard of him now. On April 6 several hundred pro-Russian separatist protesters stormed the regional government building here, appointed a people's council and demanded a referendum on regional status.

Mr Pushilin was elected chairman of this people's council. With the "people's governor," the separatist leader Pavel Gubarev, already in prison, he effectively became head of the republic.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: donetsk; pushilin; ukraine
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1 posted on 04/20/2014 9:39:34 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Cool.

Denis found a new job that leverages his background in shady enterprises.

Star play, man.


2 posted on 04/20/2014 9:48:20 AM PDT by Regulator
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Maybe we should start a drone lend lease program with Ukraine.


3 posted on 04/20/2014 9:48:25 AM PDT by vladimir998
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To: Tailgunner Joe
I try to follow this situation from afar, from the view of studying history as it unfolds.

The only thing impressive about Ukraine so far is that the government and organization of Donetsk seems to be quite competent. I do believe their pronouncements of not using official Russian help, with all of the defections from the Ukraine military and the gear and knowledge of the region they have. Then there's the element in the military Ukraine still has that will not fire on countrymen or babushkas.

That attack on the checkpoint was ill conceived, but what has Kiev done right since the coup?

That's just my take on things. My heart breaks and I pray for those who were killed and their families, in the first few hours of Easter Sunday.

It's the kind of stuff that inspires revolutions. JMHO

4 posted on 04/20/2014 9:50:09 AM PDT by grania
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To: vladimir998

What about running it offshore as a contractor?


5 posted on 04/20/2014 9:50:26 AM PDT by meatloaf (Impeach Obama. That's my New Year's resolution.)
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To: meatloaf

If only I were younger. . .


6 posted on 04/20/2014 10:02:06 AM PDT by vladimir998
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Federalization will eventually come for Ukraine. It’s the only option short of Putin taking over parts of the nation. Imo.

I think currently even the Governors.Mayors are not elected in Ukraine, rather appointed by Kiev. So federalization would give them some degree of control over their areas. Rather like we have states here.


7 posted on 04/20/2014 10:07:16 AM PDT by caww
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To: caww
Rather like we have states here.

Shouldn't that read 'Rather like we used to have here'?

8 posted on 04/20/2014 10:24:30 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: PAR35

Hey! You’re right! Almost....we still have states they just aren’t exerting their rights to govern as they choose....what would happen to the gravy train if they did?.....that’s the problem...always about the money and what politician gets a cut along the way.


9 posted on 04/20/2014 10:42:13 AM PDT by caww
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To: caww
Putin's Plan 'F' for Ukraine - April 15, 2014 - Ukraine's communists, partners with the Party of Regions in parliament, also urge federalization. A draft law was put forward in February, just three weeks before President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia.
10 posted on 04/20/2014 10:49:57 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: grania
The only thing impressive about Ukraine so far is that the government and organization of Donetsk seems to be quite competent. I do believe their pronouncements of not using official Russian help,

I don't understand this statement. The 'government' you're talking about represents the population of a single building. There have already been reports from Roma human rights groups that armed men, claiming to be from the People's Republic of Donetsk, are systematically robbing and beating the Roma. Secondly, the actual seizure of buildings was only partly carried out by these gangsters. They were led by the "little green men," some of whom have had their photographs taken in Crimea, but now are in East Ukraine. Officers of the Russian GRU have also been captured and arrested, and communication intercepted from Moscow.

Unless you don't actually know what's going on in Ukraine by avoiding the news entirely, upon what basis do you make your statements?

That attack on the checkpoint was ill conceived, but what has Kiev done right since the coup?

A coup? This is the language of the criminals in the Kremlin who routinely murder their own people and silence their critics. The "coup," as you put it, ocurred as a direct result of the Kremlin puppet's massive corruption, theft of billions from the Ukrainian treasury, and finally the shootings, which is really what made the matter escalate. He then fled when he realized even his own party condemned him and called him a traitor, saying that he refused their advice and chose to use violence to maintain power.

11 posted on 04/20/2014 10:50:36 AM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

The major problem for Ukraine... one that made all subsequent ones possible... is that it never had ‘pro-Ukrainian’ government..... It’s always had Oligarchs scamming the people and making deals that cushion their own purses...and this for decades!.... Their political class is morally bankrupt and cares only for lining their own pockets....not unlike other nation leaders but these are especially greedy. They have little compassion for their own people...it’s every man for himself.

Kiev will never agree to federalization no matter how much better the country would be for doing so and will fight it every inch of the way. They would loose the control they need in order to control the revenue they covet to their own coffers.


12 posted on 04/20/2014 11:11:38 AM PDT by caww
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans
Well that's the Eu/Nato/US story...which I don't buy from the evidence gathered even before this uprising. Not that Putin hasn't responded as things began to develope....for he's done what he thought best to secure his interests from the Eu/Nato/US overreach.

Yes, it was a coup no matter how anyone wants to color it....they disposed a sitting President by violence and force...and destroyed their main square and gov. buildings in the process...and then set up a self appointed gov. That IS a coup.

We already know that the Right Sector was responsible for the shooting and the start of violence.....they hijacked the protest as many Ukrainians have spoken of and witnessed.

Kiev's not been able to control the criminal element in Kiev since it began...nor do they do much now to contain it.

Further the East and South have always fought against Kiev for their injustice and basically abandoning those areas because of their Russian population...that is well known also. Bottom line is Ukraine has been and will be a divided country....and the EU/Nato/US and Russia will always be making some sort of dibs on it. There are no good guys on any side in this...NONE!

13 posted on 04/20/2014 11:23:10 AM PDT by caww
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

Correct, we should not refer to it as a coup. It’s more correctly called a “Putsch”.


14 posted on 04/20/2014 11:27:28 AM PDT by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: caww
Well that's the Eu/Nato/US story...which I don't buy from the evidence gathered even before this uprising

That's like saying you don't buy the Jewish story about the holocaust, and that you prefer the Nazi German version.

Yes, it was a coup no matter how anyone wants to color it....

Yanukovych was never removed from power by force. He fled the country one day after he realized that all the political parties of his country had fully turned against him, including his own, and that he would likely be facing criminal persecution. A coup suggests a small minority of radicals rose up and took over, which, obviously, isn't the case at all, no matter how you try to color it.

We already know that the Right Sector was responsible for the shooting and the start of violence....

No, only you know that and fringe Russian propaganda outlets or libertarian sites know that. The actual facts, documents, photographs, say something different, unless you want us to believe that the conspiracy goes so far as to change reality itself.

Please do me a favor and don't spout this sewage like fact. It's offensive to me because it supports violence against Ukraine as well as insults our intelligence.

Further the East and South have always fought against Kiev for their injustice and basically abandoning those areas because of their Russian population...

All polling indicates, going back years, that the East and South does not want to join Russia, even with recent events. During the Maidan, the self-defense groups were made up of ethnic Russians as well as Ukrainians. You don't have any idea what you are talking about.

15 posted on 04/20/2014 11:41:14 AM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: DesertRhino

That’s a word goobers use since they don’t know anything about anything. I suggest you remove it from your vocabulary, or, at least, only use it in reference to the actions of the Soviets.


16 posted on 04/20/2014 11:44:04 AM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

Actually that’s what Nazis call street actions intended to seize power, but hey, call it what you want.


17 posted on 04/20/2014 11:57:34 AM PDT by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: DesertRhino
Actually that’s what Nazis call street actions intended to seize power, but hey, call it what you want.

IOW, you are describing the Ukrainians as Nazis, which does not speak well to your judgment.

18 posted on 04/20/2014 11:58:52 AM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

Well first of all it certainly isn’t like denying the Holocaust...at least make a reasonable assessment of not only how I see it but many others as well. When you begin a response with a derogatory statement as that it reveals other than a sincere desire to communicate.

Further you continued your rant of what I do or don’t know...so why would I go further engaging in any conversation with you?

You are clearly under the impression that there are innocent parties and players in Ukraine and that is where your problem is....there are no innocent parties in this....it’s a power play between country’s involved, groups in and among Ukraine from both sides of the equation, and Oligarchs who still want political power......This has long now been outside of what the “Citizens” want.


19 posted on 04/20/2014 12:51:34 PM PDT by caww
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To: caww
Well first of all it certainly isn’t like denying the Holocaust...at least make a reasonable assessment of not only how I see it but many others as well. When you begin a response with a derogatory statement as that it reveals other than a sincere desire to communicate.

I consider the comment fit, since you do not even give a voice to the Ukrainians themselves, but proxy it off describing it as a "US/EU" conspiracy. IOW, the dead Ukrainians, the first being an ethnic Arab I believe, and the Ukrainians themselves, are not even given their own "story," but we must prefer your opinion and the "many others" who share it within the fringe NWO conspiracy community. A "sincere desire to communicate", in the sense of a dialogue between two equals, is impossible when one party spouts Kremlin propaganda like fact.

I do not respect the opinions of those who denigrate the people of Ukraine and ready them for the slaughter.

You are clearly under the impression that there are innocent parties and players in Ukraine and that is where your problem is....there are no innocent parties in this....

This is only your baseless opinion repeated a second time, but at least you spared us anything new from Itas-Rass or Russia Today.

20 posted on 04/20/2014 12:59:18 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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