NATO Condemns Russia’s ‘Propaganda’ as Lavrov Cries Foul

[okaawhatever]

Source: Bloomberg

NATO accused Russia of spreading “propaganda” after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the U.S.-led alliance broke a commitment to limit its forces in eastern European countries. Russia, not NATO, is trampling on pledges made in the 1990s by wresting control of Crimea and massing troops near Ukraine’s borders, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters today in Brussels.

“This is just another piece of Russian propaganda and disinformation,” Rasmussen said. “Russia is violating every principle and international commitment it has made, first and foremost the commitment not to invade other countries.”

SNIP

Earlier today in Moscow, Lavrov said NATO breached the principles of a 1997 accord that established formal ties between the former Cold War adversaries. At the time, NATO vowed to defend itself by “reinforcement” and with no new “permanent stationing of substantial combat forces.”

Rasmussen called Lavrov’s view a “baseless interpretation” of the 1997 document. The text also tied NATO’s commitment to “the current and foreseeable security environment,” something altered by Russia’s attack on Georgia in 2008 and the takeover of Crimea last month.
“In the same document, Russia pledged to respect the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of other states and refrain from the threat or use of force,” Rasmussen said. “And that’s exactly what Russia is not doing.”

Ukraine acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said on state-run TV channel UT-1 that Russian aggression is pushing Ukraine toward affiliation with NATO. He said he doesn’t “rule out” joining NATO if Russia continues to act in the same way. The border situation remains “tense,” he said, calling Russian pledges to pull back troops “a lie.”

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-03/nato-slams-russia-s-propaganda-as-lavrov-cries-foul.html

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Lavrov also doesn't mention that Russia added 5 new bases in the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions. Russia has even started preparation for a naval base in Ochamchire by dredging the coast to allow the passage of their larger naval vessels.

[jakeXT]

1. I just finished listening to an interview by David Swanson with Rozoff

http://davidswanson.org/node/4360


Maybe Russia can send them a cake for their 65th Birthday tomorrow

[okaawhatever]

2. Anyone considering listening to the radio broadcast posted above should be aware that Richard

Rozoff owns Stop NATO.com and the website relies heavily on Kremlin sponsored news.

[jakeXT]

4. Interesting, I did count the sources on the hompage (27 from Nato/MAP vs. 19 from Russia,China,BLR)

There are lot Nato, USAF, Africom, Eucom and DoD press releases

[freshwest]

10. Between the RW PR firm who brought Putin's words to the NYT, and the Oathkeepers surrounding other

media stories with their TPP - Koch funding, the global take over of the American press is growing. So much disinfo has been put out that we're just sorting through propaganda.

Thanks for that footnote on our fabled first amendment being used as bath tissue for the world. It should give us pause to reconsider all the alleged movements being hyped at us from all sides.

[nyabingi]

3. NATO...

...should have been disbanded back when the USSR dissolved, but it has always been an offense-minded military alliance designed to promote the expansion of predatory capital to the rest of the world, with Ukraine being a recent example. Thanks to the criminality of the Bush regime and Obama's continuation of Bush's aggressive foreign policy, the US has no moral leg to stand on when they attempt to condemn Russia for "invading" Crimea (if a people vote to become part of a neighboring country, how is it that the neighboring country is "invading" them lol?).

The US, EU and NATO are all about global domination and if the Russians were smart, they'd get to work on consolidating their military and economic relationships with nations in the developing world (e.g., the BRICS coalition) because the Western alliance is determined to make the Russians grovel and kiss the rings of the Western elites who run the show.

[okaawhatever]

5. The United States has all kinds of moral ground compared to Russia/USSR. Also, the so-called

"vote" to join Russia came after the military invaded the Crimea, so even that statement doesn't work. That also assumes you consider a vote taken under military occupation a democratic vote. That also assumes the two options of join Russia now or go back to the 1992 Constitution (which one, there were several changes) is a legitimate ballot. It didn't have an option for keeping the status quo so is that even a democratic ballot? How about the new Criimean Prime Minister Sergiy Aksyonov? Was he democratically elected? He was voted into office while gunmen held the local parliament building under seige. The vote was taken in secret, with some voters claiming they weren't even present for the vote. He requested Moscow's help supposedly because Crimea was under seige by unidentified military forces. We now know those are Russian forces. So you believe he called on Russia's to help save the area from
Russian troops? From Time:

"As a result of the appointment, and considering the presence of unidentified military forces in the [Crimean] autonomy, military equipment and the inability of law enforcement to effectively control the situation, disorder arose in Crimea," he said in a statement posted on the Crimean Information Agency website.

He also took over the military and police against the constitution:

He said that he had made a "temporary decision" to take over control of the military, police, air forces, navy and border guards, and urged those who disagree with the move “to resign.”

Clearly we don't share the same vision of democracy. Yours seems to be in lock-step with the Kremlin, though.

[blackspade]

6. +1

[daleo]

8. Seriously?

Did the u.s. Not invade Iraq? Were hundreds of thousands not killed in the process? Was that invasion not based on a lie? Where is the moral superiority?

[nora7]

7. Worth it ?

wasting American Money and Power ! is really Ukraine worth it ?

[TBF]

9. Ukraine has long been

consider the "bread basket of Russia".

Yes there are a lot of resources there (and important warm water ports) so unfortunately the capitalists on both sides will be interested (US and Russia). I wish both sides would leave the Ukrainians alone to self rule.