by Stephen Lendman

Its viciousness exceeds anything in recent memory. Big Lies bury hard truths.

A February 20 Office of the Vice President statement said Joe Biden discussed "the latest situation in eastern Ukraine" with (US installed) president Poroshenko and prime minister Yatsenyuk.

He lied claiming "Russian regular troops operating inside Ukraine" supported "Russia-backed separatists" in Debaltseve - "in blatant violation of (Minsk) as well as Ukraine's sovereignty an territorial integrity."

"…Russia cannot continue to hide behind the false claim that these latest military operations are solely the work of local separatists."

Western editorial and op-ed pages repeat these false claims. They support sanctions on Russia. Calls for tougher ones drown out good sense.

John Kerry lied blaming Russia and rebels for post-Minsk Kiev crimes.

On Saturday, Reuters quoted him saying "(i)n the next few days I anticipate that President Obama will evaluate the choices that are in front of him and will make his decision as to what the next step will be."

"There are serious discussions taking place between us and our European allies as to what those next sanctions steps ought to be and when they ought to be implemented."

"I am confident some additional steps will be taken in response to the breaches of the ceasefire."

Poroshenko finds new ways to embarrass himself. His military suffered a devastating Debaltsevo defeat.

He displayed fake photos of alleged Russian involvement. T-64 tanks, Grad rocket launchers and others he showed are used by Ukraine's military.

It's a spent force. Poroshenko needs outside help to continue waging war on Donbass. He wants US-led NATO doing his fighting for him.

He hopes Big Lies, false flags and other dubious practices will enlist Washington's direct involvement.

On Sunday, Kiev propaganda reports accused rebels of shelling Kiev forces near Mariupol with new type weapons.

According to Ukraine's Unian (dis)information agency , "the enemy allegedly used tube-launched projectiles with a special feature: they burst at a height of 40 meters above the surface."

"(M)icroshrapnel…cause(s) multiple shrapnel wounds…(S)hells were fired at…Shyrokyne" village.

Independent reports indicate rebels withdrawing artillery and other heavy weapons from front line positions. Unian claims about shelling Ukrainian forces are false - propaganda to enlist more Western support.

On Monday, it claimed "Russia (is) 'stuffing’ Donbas with (ultramodern) weapons."

Its security service spokesman, Markian Lubkivskiy, blamed Russia for Sunday's Kharkov explosion despite no evidence whatever suggesting it.

Plenty indicating another Kiev false flag. MP Dmytro Tymchuk accused "militant units south of Donetsk (of) reinforc(ing)" their positions.

"The next echelon with ammunition for terrorist groups of the Donetsk People's Republic has arrived in Ilovaisk from Russia," he claimed.

Other Kiev propaganda reports say Russian troops captured Debaltsevo. Western media repeat this type rubbish demanding debunking.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich called Kiev accusations of Moscow's involvement in Maidan 2014 violence "completely ludicrous."

An "act of foolishness," he said. Further proof of an illegitimate retime.

Instead of explaining hard truths, Kiev officials "com(e) up with the kinds of nonsensical ravings that belong in a psychiatric ward," he stressed

London's Telegraph sounds increasingly like Fox News. It headlined "Putin will target the Baltic next, Defence Secretary warns."

It hyped UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon's Big Lie about a "real and present danger."

NATO must be ready to repel "Russian aggression," he said. Prime Minister David Cameron says Europe can't "turn a blind eye (to) one country…challenging the territorial integrity of another country."

Despite no evidence whatever supporting his claims, Cameron says rebels "are using Russian rocket launchers, Russian tanks, Russian artillery."

"(I)t's come from Russia and we know that." It's come in part from abandoned or captured Kiev weapons.

According to rebel representatives, they got hold of around 25% of Kiev's armaments.

After its devastating Debaltsevo defeat, a rebel statement said:

Their soldiers and commanders "express(ed) special gratitude to the numerous volunteer organizations, who supplied the troops of the junta so well…"

"(V)ery popular are the hundreds of night vision devices, digital radios, modern ballistic calculators and fire control devices, dressing and antishock supplies made in the West, Kevlar helmets (although the Russian are better, but still a big deficit), latest generation armor,"

Rebels presented evidence of NATO supplied weapons - including US-made ones.

The Telegraph cited Fallon saying the "former Soviet states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia could be next to face a Russian-backed campaign to destabilize them."

"I'm worried about Putin," he added. Russian "tanks and armour (are) rolling across the Ukrainian border…"

Fallon's Big Lies don't wash. He ludicrously claimed Britain only supplies Kiev with "non-lethal equipment." Rebel captured weapons prove otherwise. Clear markings show their points of origin.

"(S)oft coverage of HSBC" wrongdoing got former Telegraph chief political commentator, Peter Oborne, to resign.

Its "standards…collapse(d)," he said. His reporting on HSBC wrongdoing wasn't published.

He called Telegraph editorial policy "part of a wider problem." Oborne resigned "as a matter of conscience."

Saying "(a) free press is essential to a healthy democracy. There is a purpose to journalism, and it is not just to entertain."

"It is not to pander to political power, big corporations and rich men. Newspapers have what amounts in the end to a constitutional duty to tell their readers the truth."

The problem goes way beyond the Telegraph. Western print and electronic media march to the same drummer.

Big Lies drown out hard truths on issues mattering most. All propaganda all the time is strict editorial policy.

Try finding a single MSM report on air or in print explaining the Ukraine story accurately. None exist. Rubbish substitutes.

London Guardian Putin bashing continues. It irresponsibly claims he has revanchist aims. He has "a grand plan to undermine both Ukraine and Europe…"

He "does not want to be seen to lose. His whole political position, in his own country and to an extent in the world, is based on projecting an image of being brilliantly and imperturbably on top of things."

"(T)his emperor, we may surmise, is secretly aware of the danger of losing his clothes."

Guardian editors turn truth on its head blaming him for damaging relations with Western countries. If Minsk fails again, for sure he'll be held responsible.

The New York Times cited Kiev as its source claiming rebel forces "mounted a tank assault on a village near the Sea of Azov" - despite no evidence proving it.

"…Ukrainian authorities (absurdly claim) a pro-Moscow underground movement…in Kharkov, Odessa, and other" Eastern cities with large Russian-speaking populations.

Instead of debunking this nonsense, The Times features it. Including about junta forces repelling a nonexistent rebel attack on Shyrokyne.

Kiev military spokesman Andriy Lysenk lied claiming its forces "c(ame) under fire 44 times over the past 24 hours despite the casefire," reported The Times.

Due diligence fact-checking for accuracy isn't its long suit. Or WaPo's featuring fake photos of alleged seized rebel weapons indicating they're Russian supplied.

Overt Nazi Andriy Parubiy was directly responsible for 2014 Maidan killings. He played a key role in replacing Ukrainian democracy with fascist rule.

He'll visit Washington this week seeking more help for Kiev's war on Donbas. He wants more heavy weapons than already supplied.

He wants direct US involvement in Kiev's dirty war. Expect it to resume full-scale once junta forces regroup and rearm. Perhaps this time US combat troops will join them.

Obama won't tolerate Donbass autonomy. He wants full nationwide control. Perhaps he intends bombing rebel positions. Maybe invading Eastern Ukraine will follow.

-###-

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.