Dear CCI Friends,
The Ukraine-Donbass-Crimea situation looks extremely dangerous this weekend! THIS IS SERIOUS!
Why would we in the U.S. have shipped billions of $$ of equipment into Ukraine, put an American General on the ground, and set up for a serious war … after Russia has been explicitly clear that they will protect the Donbass Russians and the Donbass region. This area has been Russian territory off and on since the 1700’s. Will it be another Georgia-South Ossetia war, where the United States bluffs and backs out? It doesn’t seem so. However, the potential for an all-out war between Russia and the United States is unthinkable, but may be on Biden’s drawing board.
He and his war makers are jeopardizing us all with this move.
I’ve looked on all TV channels and I see nothing being mentioned about this extremely dangerous situation this weekend. Amazing and unconscionable! I can’t believe this is happening.
Natylie Baldwin has graciously allowed CCI to publish her latest post.
Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives
Natylie’s Place: Understanding Russia
The Situation in the Donbass
April 3, 2021
By Natylie Baldwin
There have been recent reports of intensified fighting near the line of contact in the Donbass area of eastern Ukraine between Kiev forces and Donbass rebels who are supported by Russia. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission reported a rise in ceasefire violations at the end of last week from 89 to nearly 500. There are accusations back and forth of new attacks by Kiev forces on Donbass and a military buildup in Russia near the border with eastern Ukraine. According to reporting from RT yesterday:
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a series of military clashes in the Donbass region was a cause for concern. “Unfortunately for us,” he said, “the reality on the line of contact is quite frightening, and not just one, but many, provocations by the Ukrainian Armed Forces are taking place.”
Kiev insists that Russia is building up troops near the shared border and blames separatists, who have previously received support from Moscow, for breaking a ceasefire. “Russia’s current escalation is systemic, [the] largest in recent years,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dimitry Kuleba said in a statement issued earlier this week. Kiev officials last week said that four of its soldiers had been killed by shelling during clashes with rebels in the east of the country.
Andrey Rudenko, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, denied that Moscow had anything to gain from an increase in tensions. “I am sure that all the talk about some upcoming conflict between Ukraine and Russia is an example of another fake spread primarily by the Ukrainian authorities,” he said. “Russia is not interested in any conflict with Ukraine, let alone a military one.”