Non-BS Ukraine election news

Submitted by gjohnsit on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 5:51pm

If I hear someone say "Meddling in our elections..." or "Interfering in our elections..." one more time I will puke.
The news media's focus of bullsh*t news about election meddling has shifted from Russia to Ukraine, but there is an actual non-trivial, non-BS piece of Ukraine-related election news that we need to know.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has agreed to special status for Donbass and to hold elections in the separatist-controlled eastern region — a breakthrough in talks to end the five-year conflict.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it dropped its opposition to the move, according to the RIA news agency,

It opens the way to the first international summit in three years being convened on ending fighting in east Ukraine.

"Today, the last obstacles were removed on a path to the Normandy Four summit. I think in the nearest future we will have dates," Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv.
...
"What's new is that President Zelenskiy is taking the risk to make the first step," Pothier said.

The key question now is whether the Russians will reciprocate, Pothier told Euronews.

Russia called it ‘A Victory for Common Sense’.
So it looks good.

However, Ukrainian Nazis oppose it.

He sought to dispel fears about excessive concessions to the separatists, saying the election would be held only when Ukraine regains control of all its borders with Russia.

"There won't be any elections under the barrel of a gun," Zelensky said in response to criticism that his administration bowed to Russia's demands. "There won't be any elections there if the troops are still there."

Separatist leaders and the Ukrainian government also pledged to pull back troops from two locations in the Donetsk and the Luhansk regions early next week.

Zelensky insisted the local election would be held according to Ukrainian law, meaning all candidates and political parties should be allowed to run.

Separatist leaders have rejected that idea in the past, saying they would not allow Ukrainian parties that included nationalist politicians to run.

So both sides still have to pull back.
Plus both sides have to honor the election results.
Plus NATO will oppose any peace agreement.
Plus the issue of Crimea isn't covered by this.

But there is finally hope for peace.

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Ukraine

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Comments

Submitted by The Voice In th... on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 6:29pm

These elections need a lot of neutral observers

to have credibility, whichever side you favor.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Submitted by Linda Wood on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 7:38pm

Oh, good.

Donetsk and Luhansk are the regions involved in the fracking industry connected to American corporate interests as well as American infiltrated Ukrainian business, like Burisma, where Biden's son was appointed to the board. I hope all of this works out peacefully.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/opinion/russia-s-silent-shale-ga...

Russia’s silent shale gas victory in Ukraine
02-09-2015
The vast shale gas reserves in the separatist-held Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are an important element not to be overlooked when analysing the Ukraine crisis, writes Szilvia Batkov.

… Before the civil war, Ukraine had agreements with the energy giants to explore and tap its shale gas fields in hope to reduce the country’s heavy dependency on Russian gas imports. In the Donetsk Region Shell had a 50-year profit sharing deal with the government of Ukraine to explore and drill for natural gas in shale rock formations.

US energy giant Chevron also signed a similar deal for $10 billion, but it was focusing on developing shale gas reserves in the West of Ukraine. However, one year into the Russia-backed conflict, both decided to freeze or postpone their shale-exploring activities in Ukraine. Probably also driven by the low gas prices, the profit-oriented energy giants simply shied away from their shale projects in the conflict-ridden country, citing the lack of security for their investments and worsening extraction prospects as their main reasons.

… It is hard to miss the massive American interest in Europe’s desire to cut dependency of Russia and simultaneously Ukraine’s promising shale gas prospects. Besides the obvious profit-oriented business interests of American companies in tapping the shale gas of Ukraine, as usually, politics and strategic foreign political interests are also at play in the war for Ukraine’s new gas potential.

The EU and the US are currently negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership (TTIP), which, if agreed, could be very advantageous for the multinational fracking lobby. When President Obama attended an EU-US summit in Brussels in 2014 to discuss the Ukraine crisis, he said the new trans-Atlantic trade agreement would make it easier for his administration to approve American LNG exports to the EU.

However, as long as TTIP is not signed and with significant problems in Poland, Ukraine seems to be the only way for the US shale gas lobby to set its feet in CEE. Vice President Joe Biden announced that the United States would bring in technical experts to speed up Ukraine’s shale gas development.

In fact, the Biden family was so interested in Ukraine, that his son Hunter was appointed to the board of directors of Ukraine’s largest private gas producer, Burisma Holdings. This has put Ukraine’s shale gas question into a new perspective – at least from the American viewpoint.

Burisma holds licenses covering the Dnieper-Donets basin in the eastern Ukraine...

If the explorations indeed confirm Ukraine’s estimated shale reserves, these would become a significant danger to Russia’s monopoly over the multi-billion euros gas supplies to Europe. By continuing its officially denied support of the separatists in keeping Ukraine’s shale gas untapped, Moscow has also averted another crisis; American shale gas interests setting foot right at its doorsteps at the Ukrainian border and the European gas markets.

In Russia’s silent shale gas victory in Ukraine, the Russian-backed rebels fighting in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions ensured that at least for the near future, Ukraine’s shale gas potential will not be able to challenge Gazprom’s gas monopoly in the region.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 11:46pm

Ouch... that is going to leave a mark

@Linda Wood

All that work on overthrowing Ukraine's government just to see the plans fall through. It'd be funny if so many people hadn't died.

Thanks Obama!

Donetsk and Luhansk are the regions involved in the fracking industry connected to American corporate interests as well as American infiltrated Ukrainian business, like Burisma, where Biden's son was appointed to the board. I hope all of this works out peacefully. https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/opinion/russia-s-silent-shale-ga... Russia’s silent shale gas victory in Ukraine 02-09-2015 The vast shale gas reserves in the separatist-held Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are an important element not to be overlooked when analysing the Ukraine crisis, writes Szilvia Batkov. … Before the civil war, Ukraine had agreements with the energy giants to explore and tap its shale gas fields in hope to reduce the country’s heavy dependency on Russian gas imports. In the Donetsk Region Shell had a 50-year profit sharing deal with the government of Ukraine to explore and drill for natural gas in shale rock formations. US energy giant Chevron also signed a similar deal for $10 billion, but it was focusing on developing shale gas reserves in the West of Ukraine. However, one year into the Russia-backed conflict, both decided to freeze or postpone their shale-exploring activities in Ukraine. Probably also driven by the low gas prices, the profit-oriented energy giants simply shied away from their shale projects in the conflict-ridden country, citing the lack of security for their investments and worsening extraction prospects as their main reasons. … It is hard to miss the massive American interest in Europe’s desire to cut dependency of Russia and simultaneously Ukraine’s promising shale gas prospects. Besides the obvious profit-oriented business interests of American companies in tapping the shale gas of Ukraine, as usually, politics and strategic foreign political interests are also at play in the war for Ukraine’s new gas potential. The EU and the US are currently negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership (TTIP), which, if agreed, could be very advantageous for the multinational fracking lobby. When President Obama attended an EU-US summit in Brussels in 2014 to discuss the Ukraine crisis, he said the new trans-Atlantic trade agreement would make it easier for his administration to approve American LNG exports to the EU. However, as long as TTIP is not signed and with significant problems in Poland, Ukraine seems to be the only way for the US shale gas lobby to set its feet in CEE. Vice President Joe Biden announced that the United States would bring in technical experts to speed up Ukraine’s shale gas development. In fact, the Biden family was so interested in Ukraine, that his son Hunter was appointed to the board of directors of Ukraine’s largest private gas producer, Burisma Holdings. This has put Ukraine’s shale gas question into a new perspective – at least from the American viewpoint. Burisma holds licenses covering the Dnieper-Donets basin in the eastern Ukraine... If the explorations indeed confirm Ukraine’s estimated shale reserves, these would become a significant danger to Russia’s monopoly over the multi-billion euros gas supplies to Europe. By continuing its officially denied support of the separatists in keeping Ukraine’s shale gas untapped, Moscow has also averted another crisis; American shale gas interests setting foot right at its doorsteps at the Ukrainian border and the European gas markets. In Russia’s silent shale gas victory in Ukraine, the Russian-backed rebels fighting in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions ensured that at least for the near future, Ukraine’s shale gas potential will not be able to challenge Gazprom’s gas monopoly in the region.

—

The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt

Submitted by edg on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 8:14pm

Crimea

Crimea is a done deal. It won't be part of any agreement regarding the eastern regions.

As you noted, NATO will be a huge obstacle to peace in Ukraine. As will the United States. Until their goal of totally surrounding Russia right at its borders is reached, they'll allow no peace.

Submitted by The Wizard on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 8:48pm

The Minsk II Accords

This settlement of the dispute has been agreed to by all sides for a long time. This was the suggestion of President Putin and the Normandy Format to put Ukraine back together. The formula was simple, stop all hostilities, semi autonomy for the break away regions, referred to as Donbass, local elections, and lastly the federal government gets authority over the borders. The problem was that Poroshhenko signed the accord but, with US encouragement, had no intent of implementing it. Consider that the US put no pressure on the Ukraine to stop hostilities, instead arming the Ukrainian nazi militia. And complaining about Russia not complying, when Russia had no responsibilities under the accord. The Russian troops in the Donbass was a fiction. The nazis in Ukraine are demanding control of the borders first, they will then slaughter the separatists. This will not happen.
The news from Kiev and Zelenski is very good. His problem is that he will be opposed by the US and his nazis who don't want a settlement. Once resolved, the locals get a secure region based on their Russian culture, language, religion, etc. and keep control of their local government. Also the US fantasy that Russia has caused this problem ceases to exist. How to maintain the fantasy that Russia = Bad?

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Capitalism has always been the rule of the people by the oligarchs. You only have two choices, eliminate them or restrict their power.

Submitted by leveymg on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 9:38pm

We had to burn Kiev in order to save Kiev.

We might do it, again. It's what we do.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 11:36pm

Don't puke...

Vlad was asked if he planned on meddling in the election again.

"Psst...don't tell anyone, but I think I will. It's fun."

Want to guess who took him seriously?

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Submitted by Bob In Portland on Fri, 10/04/2019 - 10:53am

Not that much natural gas in Ukraine.

Moon of Alabama has an interesting post of Biden, Ukraine and the natural gas industry:

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/10/biden-timeline.html#more

According to the article, Burisma isn't so much a natural gas company but rather a means for a fascist, Nazi-loving oligarch, Igor Kolomoisky to pay off friends. It's a shell company, a means to pay off American politicians in the Hunter Biden case.

While there may be some oil and gas inside Ukraine there doesn't seem to be enough for anyone to make the effort to produce it.

The problem for the US now, regarding Ukraine, is that the fascists that the US put into power are losing grip on the country. There are a lot of Ukrainians who would rather be with their ethnic brothers in Russia than the Nazis in Lviv. Long-term, if the majority of the populations get their wish, or if Ukraine foolishly starts another war, expect Ukraine's coast from Odessa east to the Russian border to revolt/be lost in a war. Then the rump state of Ukraine will be landlocked.