Thousands of Ukrainians Fleeing to Russia Asking for Refugee Status

______________________________

Thousands of Ukrainian citizens can get refugee status if they’re opponents of the putschist junta. Many members of Ukrainian social movements are moving to Moscow. Social networks help the Kiev residents settle in the Russian capital… hundreds of people are willing to help them.

Sergei Khizhnyak moved to Russia “light”… all that he had were the necessary documents. The activist for the movement “For an Honest Kiev” had to flee the Ukraine as the junta brought several criminal cases against him. However, Khizhnyak doesn’t understand why they brought charges against him. He was one of thousands of people who were against violence and bloodshed in the city. At the station, Sergei met a friend, also an activist, Ivan Protsenko. He came to Russia a few days earlier. They had to decide… how were they going to get by? Most importantly, where were they going to live now? Fortunately, groups offer temporary shelter to refugees.

Back in Kiev, a while back, together with other people, they reached the centre of the city… in order to protest against the junta. They brought shovels and buckets… as if it was a subbotnik… to cleanse the blood from the Maidan. Neofascists attacked them and beat them severely. The thugs injured about 50 people in the mêlée; 20 went to hospital with serious injuries, and a few are missing. Nevertheless, the “For an Honest Kiev” activists continue to go out to the Maidan every Saturday. The next action is due tomorrow; activists intend to march to the Rada building. Protsenko, the leader of the movement, tried to dissuade people from rallying tomorrow, saying, “It’s not safe. Snipers control the approaches to the Rada, there are people there with guns and pistols, but to call it off, to tell them ‘no’… I just couldn’t do it. They all called me, they wrote me, saying that they’re coming out, no matter what. They just can’t take it anymore”.

Those who dropped everything and fled Kiev, now collect documents to get refugee status. Many have already decided… they won’t return to the Ukraine. They intend to move here, find a job, and settle their families.

28 March 2014

NTV

http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/873459/

Editor:

The news out of the Ukraine is enough to make the stones weep. Yet, no one in the Western media gives a shit for the very real suffering of the ordinary folks in the Ukraine. All that you hear are apologias for IMF strangulation of the little folks so that the rich scamper off scot-free. Such soulless bastards are beyond all human help. They’ve sold their birthright for a higher-than-average income… which they believe that they’re entitled to. One can do nothing to bring such former humans back to decency.

That’s why Sophia Kishkovsky is such an object lesson (not just for Orthodox, for all decent people)… she’s an exemplar of what happens when someone sells out… we’d all do well not to fall into the same pit…

BMD

Advertisement

Russia to Cancel Treaties in re Sevastopol… Calls them Irrelevant… Most Russians Oppose Russian Recognition of the Timoshenko Junta

______________________________

On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said that under instructions given by President Vladimir Putin at a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Russia started preparations for terminating bilateral agreements with the Ukraine related to the status and operation of the Black Sea Fleet. The agreements due for termination include the 1997 Agreement on the Status and Conditions of the Basing of the RF Black Sea Fleet on Ukrainian Territory, renewed in 2010.

******

The RF Gosduma received proposals to end a number of Russian-Ukrainian agreements, in particular on the Black Sea Fleet. The RF Federal Assembly appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin and Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov as official presidential representatives for considering the issue. An explanatory note appended to the decision stated, “Following the signing of the treaty between Russia and the Crimea on 18 March 2014 on the Crimea’s accession to Russia and forming two new RF federal subjects, the Russian-Ukrainian agreements lost relevancy due to the end of a need for legal contracts for the RF to continue renting facilities for its Black Sea Fleet in the Ukraine”. Russia has the right to end relevant agreements based on Articles 61 and 62 of the Vienna convention on international treaties, especially, the ending of agreements regulating the status and conditions of Black Sea Fleet units based in the Ukraine.

******

A recent opinion poll conducted by the all-Russia Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM) suggested that more than half of Russian citizens oppose recognising the Ukrainian junta.  The poll recorded that two-thirds (68 percent) of those surveyed believed “Russia shouldn’t officially recognise the new Ukrainian authorities”. Most of all, this opinion was prevalent amongst residents of medium-sized cities (80 percent) and senior citizens (74 percent of the respondents aged 60 and older). At the same time, about 18 percent of those polled, mainly young people (23 percent), residents of small towns (24 percent) and uneducated people (28 people), said that they’d support recognising the junta. The survey revealed that about 23 percent of Russians had a fairly negative attitude to the Ukrainian junta, whilst 15 percent regard the junta as illegitimate, believing that its members illegitimately seized power.

At present, the situation for ordinary people in the Ukraine is deteriorating. About 52 percent of polled Russians noted this. However, “the number of those giving the same answer dropped significantly from the beginning of March”, when 68 percent of respondents described the situation as worsening. VTsIOM figures show that, in general, Russians continue to keep track of the latest developments in the Ukraine. The pollster stated, “About 85 percent of respondents closely monitor developments in this neighbouring country”, adding that citizens’ interest in Ukrainian events had grown from 72 percent in early February. Senior citizens (52 percent of respondents), residents of Moscow and St Petersburg (63 percent), and higher income groups (52 percent) demonstrated the greatest interest in Ukrainian developments. VTsIOM conducted the survey on 15-16 March 2014, interviewing 1,600 people in 130 cities and villages in 42 RF federal subjects. The margin of error was +/- 3 percent.

28 March 2014

Voice of Russia World Service

http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_28/Russia-begins-denunciation-of-some-bilateral-agreements-with-Ukraine-on-Black-Sea-Fleet-4980/

http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_03_28/Russia-sends-Ukraine-note-on-intention-to-terminate-bilateral-relations-in-some-fields-3320/

http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_28/Over-half-of-Russians-against-Ukraine-s-new-leaders-opinion-poll-9224/

Editor:

As the Crimea is no longer part of the Ukraine, there’s no longer any need for treaties regulating the basing of the Black Sea Fleet there. Furthermore, it means that Russia no longer “owes” the Ukraine 100 million Euros (4.9 billion Roubles. 138 million USD. 152 million CAD. 149 million AUD. 82.6 million UK Pounds) a year as rent for its bases there. This is a major blow to the junta’s financial base… which wasn’t much to begin with. Today, the junta “Minister of Foreign Affairs” blustered that the Black Sea Fleet had to leave Sevastopol. What a strutting khokhol! I use this strong (and somewhat offensive) term deliberately… only a blithering idiot could believe that the Ukraine has the military power to seize the Crimea. The Ukraine is economically knackered, militarily impotent, socially divided, and politically insane. Such an entity is going to oust Russia from the Crimea? I’ll check into Bedlam with Mr Scrooge…

BMD

Pay Levels of Ukrainian Soldiers Who Rallied to Russia Increased 400 Percent

Sailors on the Ternopol, an anti-submarine ship that rallied to Russia

______________________________

At a ceremony in the Kremlin, President Putin praised the Crimean military and security officers who rallied to Russia, saying that Russia should do its utmost to use them to the best of their abilities. He emphasised that their pay and benefits would be in line with their Russian confrères in the very near future. According to our NTV correspondent, Putin mostly acted in his role as commander-in-chief at the Kremlin ceremony. He congratulated security service officers on their new appointments and titles, then, he wished them further success in the security and defence of the country. Putin said, “The recent developments in the Crimea were a serious test. They demonstrated the qualitatively higher readiness of our armed forces, and the high morale of their personnel. I thank the command of the Black Sea Fleet and other units stationed in the Crimea for their endurance and bravery, for their flawlessly professional actions that avoided provocations and prevented bloodshed, ensuring peaceful conditions for a free conduct of the referendum”.

The military infrastructure of the Crimea is in need of large-scale modernisation. Soon, officials of the MVD, Penitentiary Service, FSB, SK RF, and the Office for Drug Control will be working in the region, as there are no longer any obstacles for them. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reported that all military facilities in the Crimea have come under Russian jurisdiction, saying, “Comrade Supreme Commander, according to your request, the withdrawal of Ukrainian servicemen who expressed a desire to continue to serve in the Ukrainian forces is complete. We’ve changed state symbols on all ships and units that rallied to Russia. We won’t tolerate acts of desecration and disrespect to Ukrainian state symbols. I ask your permission to begin transferring to the Ukraine weapons and military equipment now under our control in units that didn’t rally to Russia“. Putin replied, “You mean ships and aircraft?” Shoigu said, “Exactly”. Putin said, “I agree. Make it so”.

Those troops in the Crimea who rallied to Russia would serve in newly created units. Their professional skills wouldn’t be lost, but rather serve to benefit the Crimea. All those rallying to Russia would keep their present military ranks and seniority. The RF armed forces would recognise their higher military training, and would raise their pay to Russian levels, about 400 percent higher than the Ukrainian pay rates. Putin said, “In the coming days, the Russian government will decide on all issues with payments related to paying pensions, benefits, and military wages. At the same time, we respect the choice of Ukrainian military and security personnel who chose to return to the Ukraine. We should maintain a very correct attitude to their families, as required by traditional military honour”. Talking about the future of the Crimea, President Putin pointed up its place in military history. He instructed the relevant officials to revive the Black Sea Nakhimov Naval School and create a Cadet Corps in Sevastopol as soon as possible.

28 March 2014

Aleksandr Kalinin

NTV

http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/873738/

Editor:

Of the 18,000 Ukrainian armed forces personnel in the Crimea, 15,000 (85 percent) rallied to Russia. Note well that The Nation, Sophia Kishkovsky, The National Catholic Reporter, and Christiane Amanpour are silent on that. I wonder why? I’d say that it’s because it isn’t a good omen for the junta’s future. Ordinary folk usually choose sides for hardheaded pragmatic reasons… to put it plainly, real people see that the junta’s not long for this world and they’re acting accordingly. “Independence” and “nationalism” don’t put bread on the table…

BMD

The Ukraine Jolts Consumers with Massive Price Increase… Russia to Keep Prices Level in the Crimea… Why Does the USA Support those Who Fuck the Working People?

______________________________

Ukrainian media sources reported that Yuri Kolbushin, the Director of Economic Planning and Financial Settlement for Naftogaz Ukrainy, stated that natural gas prices for consumers in the Ukraine would increase by 50 percent on 1 May, but increases for utilities and other business users would be only 40 percent. He said, “The increase in consumer natural gas rates would occur on 1 May, and on business customers on 1 July. Rates on businesses will increase 40 percent, whilst consumers will pay 50 percent more”. Kolbushin noted that the government would set the definitive level of price hikes. According to RIA-Novosti, one of the key conditions of the IMF for a loan was an increase in utility rates, especially, state-subsidised rates for consumers. If the Ukraine complied with this, the IMF MIGHT loan the Ukraine 15-20 billion USD (536-714 billion Roubles. 16.6-22.2 billion CAD. 16.3-21.6 billion AUD. 10.9-14.6 billion Euros. 9-12 billion UK Pounds). The IMF put this crippling condition forward before, under an earlier proposal made in 2008-10. In late 2010, this requirement blocked a deal as the Ukrainian government refused to raise rates, and the IMF stopped issuing loans in response.

Editor:

The stupidity and greed of the Western banksters is beyond all words. This move dooms the junta… apolitical people will say, “These bastards want to grind us down to enrich Timoshenko and her cronies. Russia’s bad, but it’s not so bad. They’d let us keep a little, at least. These scumbags want to take everything away from us”. Russia also offers something that the West refuses to extend… DIGNITY to working folks. No one has illusions. It’d still be a tough slog, but the Russians won’t giggle as they grind their boot into ordinary people’s faces. That’s why Russia has the upper hand in this situation. The USA followed an evil path since 1991… it wasn’t anything to write home about before (Árbenz, Mossadegh, and Allende anyone?). It’s time to say, “NO MORE”… you can start by disbelieving all that you hear from the Western media apparat… little, if any of it, bears any relation to the reality unfolding.

Oh, yes… one last thing… do note that the IMF DEMANDS that consumer tariffs rise at a higher rate than business rates do. After all, we can’t discomfit the oligarchs (and the junta kleptocrats), can we? They’d just DIE if they couldn’t have the money for their tennis courts, foreign holidays, and pricey bling!

BMD

28 March 2014

Russkaya Narodnaya Liniya

http://ruskline.ru/opp/2014/3/28/na_ukraine_povyshayutsya_tarify_ekspertnye_ocenki/

******

Today, the Republic of Crimea (RK) authorities announced that consumer utility rates, including natural gas, would stay at current levels. The rates won’t increase for two years, after which the RK would move to standard Russian utility rates. In the meantime, the RK would support rates with government subsidies. The Centre would support this move; the RF Russian government will budget more than 13 billion roubles (365 million USD. 403 million CAD. 393 million AUD. 265 million Euros. 218 million UK Pounds) to allow this plan to move forward. Already, the Crimea receives humanitarian aid from the Centre. Now, Sevastopol receives goods for kindergartens and schools experiencing food shortages due to the end of deliveries from the Ukraine. A convoy of trucks arrived from Moscow in the main square of Sevastopol loaded with drugs, medicines, and hospital equipment.

28 March 2014

NTV

http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/873757/

Editor:

One of these things is not like the other! One of these things ain’t even kinda the same! The Ukraine FUCKS ordinary people… Russia HELPS ordinary people. If you work for a living, to support the US government’s support of the Timoshenko junta makes no sense. You support those who want the same in this country, who want to FUCK YOU AS BADLY. The Republican Party slobbers its hearty approval of the junta’s war against ordinary people (you should hear their neo-McCarthyite rants in Congress). You know what to do in November… you know who to vote AGAINST. The Democrats are bad, very bad, indeed, but they’re not as bad as the GOP is (do you WANT a return to “extraordinary rendition” and PRISM?)… we have the same nasty and cheerless choice that the Ukrainians have… very bad or outright evil. In such a case, the only course is to choose “very bad” (Democratic in the American case; Russia in the Ukrainian case).  Orthodox people should take note… the Republicans fiercely hate us… the Democrats merely torment us. The rueful Russian saying nails it… “All the options are worse”.

BMD