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West and Russia already fighting WW3 – former US advisor
Fiona Hill argues that Americans have “failed to recognize” the scope of the Ukraine conflict
FILE PHOTO: Fiona Hill testifies before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
in Washington, DC, February 2, 2022 © AFP / Alex Wong
The West has been fighting World War III against Russia “for a long time” without being aware of it, former White House advisor Fiona Hill told the New Yorker magazine on Thursday. Moscow, however, is aware, with President Vladimir Putin accusing the collective West of waging “hybrid war” on Russia.
“We’ve been in this for a long time, and we’ve failed to recognize it,” said Hill, who served in Donald Trump’s national security council before testifying against him during the 2019 impeachment inquiry.
With the US backing a coup in Kiev in 2014 and supplying military aid to Ukraine while it waged war against the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics in the eight years since, Hill suggested that Washington could reevaluate its stated policy of supporting Ukraine without becoming a direct party to the conflict.
“If the goal is to avoid a conflict in which we are already fighting, then does the rest of Washington’s approach to Russian aggression need to be reconsidered?” the New Yorker paraphrased her argument.
While Hill did not directly call for the US to enter open war with Russia, other US lawmakers and former officials have. Shortly after Russian troops rolled into Ukraine in February, a group of these national security experts called on President Joe Biden to enforce a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine. Such a measure would see the US and any willing NATO allies commit to shooting down Russian aircraft, something Moscow has explicitly said it would perceive as an act of war.
Russia already considers itself at war with NATO in Ukraine, and Putin has vowed to use “all available means” to defend its own territory, including four former Ukrainian regions set to join the Russian Federation in the coming days. In a speech on Friday after signing accession treaties for these four regions, Putin accused the West of waging a “hybrid war” against Russia to prevent the development of a “multipolar world.”
This is NATO's proxy war with Russia, being fought in a country which does not even belong to NATO. A country that is one of the most corrupt in the entire world.
NATO tested underwater ‘equipment’ close to Nord Stream – Moscow
Poland's FM thanks the USA for destroying the Nordstream pipelines
NATO conducted exercises using deep-sea equipment in the area where gas leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were detected this week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. She added that the entire Baltic Sea is “packed full” of the bloc’s military infrastructure.
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Thursday, Zakharova dismissed any allegations that Russia was behind the incident. “May I ask you a question? When exactly did Russia decide it wanted to stop supplying energy to Europe?” she asked.
Zakharova said NATO was engaged in military activities close to the location where the leaks were found, noting that it might have presented an interesting “opportunity” for the bloc.
“So, maybe the NATO bases never conducted exercises there, while American soldiers have never been stationed on the territory of nearby countries?” she quipped, adding that this summer "in the area of Bornholm, Denmark, NATO conducted exercises that used deep-sea equipment”.
Zakharova was apparently referring to Exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 22 in the Baltic Sea, which took place in June 2022 and were meant to demonstrate the military bloc's “mine hunting capabilities,” according to the statement by the US Navy at the time. In particular, it sought to experiment with Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) by deploying them off the coast of Bornholm island.
Poland's FM
Zakharova urged Washington to offer “an explanation” and “confess” to the truth, saying that the US had left that job to Poland's former foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, who earlier “thanked” the US for destroying the pipeline.
NATO said Thursday that the pipelines were damaged in what appeared to be a “deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage,” promising to meet any attack on its critical infrastructure “with a united and determined response.”
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the Nord Stream leaks as a probable “terrorist act” which is unlikely to have been possible “without the involvement of some state power.”
On Monday, Denmark reported leaks from the pipelines after the operator reported a loss of pressure on both Nord Stream 1 and 2. Danish and Swedish authorities later said there had been a series of undersea explosions near Bornholm. In total, there have been four gas leaks detected in the Nord Stream system.
So, the question is, who gains the most from destroying Nord Stream pipelines? Russia instantly loses many customers for its gas. That puts pressure on Europe with winter approaching rapidly. It also cuts off a revenue stream that Russia sorely needs to continue its war against NATO in Ukraine. And, repairs will take a long time and be very expensive if even possible in a hostile environment.
What does the NATO-USA bloc have to gain from blowing up the pipeline? It cuts off a revenue stream to Russia; it puts pressure on Europe to buy American gas at outrageous prices; and with MSM in their pockets, they can convince everyone that it was Putin's fault. It's pretty obvious who has the most to gain.
Children among dead after Ukraine shells refugee convoy – LPR
Over 30 people were killed in an attack near Kharkov, the Lugansk People’s Republic’s
envoy to Moscow claims
The Ukrainian army has attacked a refugee convoy in the eastern region of Kharkov, killing over 30 people, according to the Lugansk People’s Republic’s envoy to Russia.
Rodion Miroshnik wrote on his Telegram channel that those killed in the artillery bombardment included children. He added that emergency services are unable to access the bodies, as shelling from Kiev’s forces continues. The republic’s health ministry stated that seven other people were injured, including two children who lost their parents in the shelling.
Miroshnik claimed the Ukrainian army knew exactly who they were shooting at, as they had allegedly used drones to track down the refugee vehicle convoy and were “intentionally aiming at civilians.” Kiev has yet to respond to the allegations.
Speaking to the Russia 24 TV channel, the LPR envoy noted that the number of civilians trying to get out of Kharkov Region has significantly increased in recent days, as fighting in the area has intensified in the wake of Kiev’s forces reclaiming most of the region. Miroshnik said most of the fleeing residents are trying to cross into Russia’s Belgorod region or the LPR, especially from the cities of Kupyansk and Balakleya.
Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were first signed in 2014. Former Ukrainian president Pyotr Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev’s main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and “create powerful armed forces.”
He didn't mention the brutal attacks on the Russian-speaking regions by Ukraine's Azov neo-Nazi battalion.
In February 2022, the Kremlin recognized the Donbass republics as independent states and demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked.
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