by Stephen Lendman

Obama bears full responsibility for replacing Ukraine's democratically elected government with Nazi lunatics.

Russia's lower house State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin said "(t)he guilt of the United States of America for (what happened) is considerable and obvious to the entire world."

Ukraine's crisis "poses a risk to international security, first of all to European security."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey was clear and unequivocal saying:

"For a quarter of century, the key principles of the United Nations had been systematically violated."

"The US and other Western nations neglected the fundamental rules of international law, widely used double standards and didn't hesitate to intervene directly into other nations' sovereign affairs."

"The impact of this policy is fully felt by the peoples of Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya and now Ukraine."

He omitted Afghanistan, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Somalia, numerous other countries, and his own affected by the scourge of US policies.

The good news is Washington "failed to make up a global anti-Russian coalition," said Lavrov.

"We are engaged in a dialogue with the majority of the countries. Support of the world community for Russia’s balanced policy is growing."

America makes more enemies than friends. Pressure won't force Russia to change its foreign policy, Lavrov stressed.

Obama's new National Security Strategy reflects US business as usual, he said - permanent wars against invented enemies.

Obama's lunatic aim for "global dominance and readiness to use military force unilaterally to ensure American interests" threatens everyone, said Lavrov.

He "mentions over a hundred times the exceptional right of the US to exercise the notorious American leadership."

He believes it's "inevitable…(I)t looks like the White House forgot what seeking hegemony to the detriment of other countries' interests may lead to."

"…(T)he ferocity that we see in (Britain and other) Western capitals now exceeds the levels seen during the…Cold War."

Lavrov clearly sees the danger of heading things toward possible East/West war responsible leaders don't want.

Britain announced sending combat troops to Ukraine masquerading as military trainers.

An unnamed Kremlin source accused its government of "apparently prepar(ing) to derail" Minsk.

"Statements from London that say there's no military solution to the Ukrainian crisis amid this move appear to be at least hypocritical and a case of gambling with the security of all Europe in worst-case scenario," it added.

Ceasefire is largely holding, but for how long. Its fragility suggests conflict could resume any time at Washington's discretion.

It uses Kiev's military as a proxy force waging naked aggression in Europe's heartland. Battleground Ukraine is pretext for targeting Russia.

Anyone paying attention knows Washington's main objective is toppling its government. Replacing it with one it controls.

Risking nuclear war to achieve its objective. No nation threatens humanity's survival more than America. None is governed more recklessly and ruthlessly.

Former Czech health minister Ivan David said Washington is turning Europe into a battlefield.

EU nations "whose elites are taking orders from an alien, American power, (are) leading the whole continent to the slaughterhouse," he stressed.

They should partner with Russia to survive, he believes. Europe needs "new elites." Current ones may set the entire continent ablaze.

They're "promised they will be allowed to survive if they diligently serve (US interests) at the expense of their own peoples."

If Europe wants to survive, it needs fundamental new policy, he stressed.

Tinderbox conditions remain in Donbass. Kiev beginning to withdraw heavy weapons may be more head-fake than willingness to observe Minsk.

On February 27, Sputnik News said its forces "will leave enough units and equipment along the line of contact (on the pretext of being able) to react to a possible ceasefire violation."

Fascists in charge violated previous ceasefire agreements straightaway. It takes a giant leap of faith to believe they'll observe what they systematically rejected before - regardless of what they agreed to in Minsk or say publicly.

Washington calls the shots. It's Kiev's paymaster. Obama deplores peace. He wants war. He wants total control over his newest colony.

Expect conflict to resume at his discretion. Maybe this time potentially affecting the entire continent.

Canada and Australia saying they'll send combat troops to Ukraine under the guise of military trainers ups the stakes for more war.

Humanity's fate hangs in the balance. Paul Craig Roberts addressed the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow via Skype.

He discussed reckless neocon policies responsible for wrecking Reagan/Gorbachev rapprochement - saving the world in the 1980s from possible humanity destroying nuclear war.

Soviet Russia's dissolution "removed the only constraint on Washington's power to act unilaterally abroad," said Roberts.

The Gulf and Baltic wars followed. The rape of Yugoslavia was prelude for Bush/Obama post-9/11 permanent direct and proxy wars in multiple theaters.

America's maniacal drive for global hegemony may kill us all. Neocon lunatics making policy intend stopping at nothing to assure no nation challenges US dominance.

Life on earth is threatened like never before. Possible nuclear war should scare everyone. Western propaganda heads things toward the unthinkable.

Poroshenko wants US-led NATO doing his fighting for him in the next planned phase of war. It bears repeating.

It could start anytime at Obama's discretion. Perhaps it's a major US/Kiev false flag away.

Something big like 9/11 to get US-NATO forces directly involved risking war with Russia.

Ukraine is rearming in preparation for more war. After contracting with the UAE for US-made weapons, it agreed to buy drones and electronic warfare from France's Thales Group.

Kiev official Oleg Gladkovsky said "contracts have been reached with US companies." He provided no further details.

Ukraine is broke. It's bankrupt. Where is it getting money to buy expensive weapons?

IMF funds supposedly exclude using them for war-making. The idea being they're to pay bankers first. Apparently enough wiggle room permits virtually anything.

Bloomberg cited an unnamed source saying conflict in Donbass "would make it tougher for Ukraine to maintain its economic commitments to the IMF and (service its debt) while deepening the fund's involvement in the worst standoff in Europe sine the end of the Cold War."

Congress may provide a billion dollars more in aid. House legislation introduced authorizes the secretaries of defense and state "to provide assistance, including training, equipment, lethal weapons of a defensive nature (sic), logistics support, supplies and services, and sustainment to the military and national security forces of Ukraine through September 30, 2017."

The measure ludicrously says it's to help Kiev secure its "sovereign territory against foreign aggressors (and promote) conditions for a negotiated settlement to end the conflict."

Providing funds for weapons assures more conflict. Initiating it depends on:

• what lunatics in Washington have in mind;


• whether US forces will be directly involved; and


• if or how efforts are made to draw Russia into a war on its border it wants ended once and for all.

For now, things are relatively (not entirely) calm. On Thursday, DPR Prime Minister Alexander Zakharcehcko issued the following statement in good faith:

"In pursuance of the Declaration of 12.02.2015 and the 'Package of measures concerning implementation of the Minsk Agreement,' the Donetsk People's Republic has withdrawn heavy armament to the agreed upon and registered by the given document distance."

As of Friday morning, withdrawal of artillery, mortars and heavy equipment was 90% completed.

Zakharchenko said "(t)he Ukrainian side (so far) evades (its) commitments" beyond token withdrawals to positions not in compliance with Minsk.

"In case of violation by the Ukrainian side, (DPR) reserve(s) the right to return heavy armaments to the places of previous dislocation…"

DPR holds Kiev fully responsible if Minsk fails like previous ceasefires.

If sporadic "shelling and attacks do not stop," said Zakharchenko, "we reserve the right to consider the Minsk agreement wrecked by the Ukrainian side."

"Military equipment will be returned to their previous positions. All attempts to attack our settlements will be checked in the bud."

Zakharchenko said LPR leadership intends a similar announcement. Poroshenko's latest comment should give them cause for concern.

He lied claiming a continued rebel "military threat." Saying Kiev intends repositioning heavy weapons in front line positions any time he says they violated Minsk - whether true or false.

Throughout months of conflict, Kiev, Washington, other Western nations, Eastern European NATO members, and media scoundrels repeatedly accused rebels of Kiev crimes.

Expect a similar Big Lie to launch the next phase of conflict. Likely threatening Europe more than any time since WW II.

Will its leaders risk everything staying loyal to Washington’s imperial madness? Will their populations allow them to do it at the risk of their own demise?

-###-

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.