Civic and religious leaders in Germany are spearheading a new initiative to avoid war between Russia and the West.
By Gilbert Doctorow, Ute Finckh-Krämer, Ludger Volmer, Rolf Ekéus and Noam Chomsky
A transatlantic appeal for a new policy of détente with Russia has been launched. The declaration’s authors invite the general public to join leading political figures and social activists who have publicly rallied to support the call.
Friends, who knows what will happen next in the continuing hot spots between Washington/NATO and Russia? Robert Parry’s “Consortium News” below features Jonathan Marshall who gives a laudable possibility that Donald Trump could help end the war in Ukraine. This quick fix possibility looks like it could appeal to Trump. He wouldn’t have to do much to make a huge difference as he starts his term. Let’s hope that someone gets the possible win-win to him, if they haven’t already.
The article gives a clear, short, sequenced narrative of Ukraine events in case you, like many of us, have a hard time keeping up with the continually exploding happenings across Ukraine and the Middle East.
Let’s hope for best,
Sharon
Consortium News
November 24, 2016
Exclusive: The U.S.-backed coup in Ukraine in 2014 sparked a New Cold War with Russia, but a President Trump could roll back tensions with a creative strategy for resolving the Ukraine standoff, writes Jonathan Marshall.
By Jonathan Marshall
If Donald Trump wants to make a decisive and constructive mark on U.S. foreign policy early in his presidency, there’s no better place to start than by helping to end the brutal war in Ukraine that has claimed some 10,000 lives.
Friends, I consider the article below a vital statement from a former Ambassador to NATO. I’ve used both underlining to accentuate his “principles” and occasional italics to catch your attention to his specific points. Ambassador Richard L. Hunter neither lauds nor demeans Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. To me, he makes perfect sense as our nation charts an extremely rocky new course which could help stabilize our divided population in the coming months and years––which Hunter thinks could be possible. Please attend to each paragraph and let me know what you think about his carefully thought-out ponderings.
At this point in the history of our nation, we must be part of the solution, not “hangers on” to what previously existed and self destructed. No good will come from walling off and continuing the fight between two divergent points of view. How can we pursue a realistic new course?
Sharon
Friends, not all news is good news, but the following is certainly constructive and hopeful news. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists’ Doomsday Clock should be moved back a few minutes given the direction that seems to be emerging.
Also Trump has had phone conversation with China’s president Xi with assurances that both want to develop ties and change the relationship. Let’s hope it all lasts!
Sharon
Kremlin.ru
November 14, 2016
As agreed in advance by both sides, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump.
The Russian President once again congratulated the US President-elect on his victory in the presidential election, wished him success in implementing his election programme and said he was ready to develop a dialogue of partnership with the new administration on the principles of equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs.
Friends, in the wake of a Trump Presidency in the past few hours, one of the most trusted financial voices, that of Chris Weafer, has spoken out. Christopher J. Weafer (Chris) has worked in Russia and the CIS region for over seventeen years as one of the top financial experts overseeing Russian, American and European investing. We have been on email with each other for nearly two decades. Most recently he was voted the best Russia investment strategist for 2013 by investors in separate polls carried out by Thomson Reuters Extel and Institutional Investor magazine. He has regularly placed in the top three of these respective polls over the past dozen years.
Below Chris gives us a seasoned hope that the relationship between our country and Russia will grow, yet he knows the difficulties involved in this route as we go forward.
Let us all be determined to do all that we can to open the doors again between our two nations; to reject the demonization and propaganda; to rebuild truthful information among us for the first time since 2000 when the tone began to change between our countries.
We at CCI were there in the early 2000s, trying to figure out why “an ill wind was blowing” between Washington and Russia. The long and tragic process is captured step-by-step in my book, “The Power of Impossible Ideas”— yet at the time I couldn’t understand why it was happening. Looking back now it’s all clear as a bell. The Neocons were taking full charge of the US’s Russia policy from behind the Oval Office. Somehow they decided Putin would be a threat to their purposes and Bush II was easy to manipulate. From then on they were entrenched in Washington policy making … up until yesterday.
Hopefully that dangerous chapter, which appeared to be headed toward a final nuclear showdown over Syria or some other hot spot, may now be behind us. I was a Jill Stein supporter, not a Trump supporter, in this election. In any case, I breathe a little more easily this morning.
As far as our immediate CCI response, I’ve been watching each aspect of this tortuous election to determine how best for CCI to move forward. A number of directions were possible depending on the election outcome. More on what each of us can do to rebuild the US-Russia relationship on or before December 1. Get ready, there’s no time to lose! The presidency didn’t go to the neocons’ expectations, but the neocons are still very much present in the halls of power.
Have a Happy and grateful Thanksgiving! More to follow, Sharon
Thanks to Chris Weaver for allowing the following analysis to be sent!
by Chris Weafer
Finally, the most divisive and disruptive election in modern US history is over. Donald Trump will occupy the White House for at least the next four years, starting in late January. The question that many in Russia and those who have, or are considering investing in Russia, are asking is what does a Trump president actually mean for Russia risk? The perception widely held before the election is that Trump would have a friendlier disposition towards Russia and President Putin personally and that he “could do business with him”. The extension of that being that Trump would be good for Russia and for investors in Russia. But, is that assumption overly naïve, i.e. the default assumption in a bitterly contested election, or can both countries now enter a new friendlier phase?
