Ukraine
US and NATO use Ukrainian crisis to advance military build-up in Eastern Europe
By Patrick O’Connor, 24 March 2014
The Obama administration is now seeking to exploit the crisis that it instigated as a new pretext for further aggressive manoeuvres.
Canada’s Harper visits Kiev to laud coup, threaten Russia
By Keith Jones, 24 March 2014
At a joint press conference with Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the interim prime minister installed as a result of last month’s coup, Harper repeatedly denounced and threatened Russia.
EU-Ukraine trade pact paves way for brutal austerity
By Mike Head, 22 March 2014
Amid intensifying sanctions and military provocations against Russia, the EU and the Western-backed government in Ukraine yesterday signed a pact that paves the way for brutal austerity measures and free market “reforms.”
German Green Party campaigns for war
By Christoph Dreier, 22 March 2014
The German government’s confrontational approach towards Russia is supported by all the parties in the federal parliament but none do so as aggressively and hysterically as the Greens.
German media seeks to paint Putin as new “Hitler”
By Ulrich Rippert, 22 March 2014
A prominent Germany newspaper recently interviewed Ukrainian oligarch Yulia Tymoshenko, who accused Russia of seeking to “redraw the map of the world through war, mass murder and blood.”
Anti-Russia propaganda and the fabrication of a new pro-war consensus
By Alex Lantier, 21 March 2014
Claims that Washington is defending Ukraine against Russian aggression are lies, promoted to give discredited policies of imperialist war a new lease on life.
Australian government joins US sanctions against Russia
By Mike Head, 21 March 2014
In announcing the sanctions, the Australian foreign minister specifically warned of a potential military confrontation.
German Left Party promotes government propaganda against Russia
By Ulrich Rippert, 21 March 2014
In a statement on the situation in Ukraine, the Left Party’s executive has condemned “threats of military action by the Russian Federation.”
US, EU escalate war threats against Russia over Crimea annexation
By Johannes Stern and Alex Lantier, 20 March 2014
In response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in the Ukraine crisis, US and European officials called for putting NATO on a perpetual war footing against Moscow.
Svoboda thugs attack head of Ukrainian national television
By Johannes Stern, 20 March 2014
A shocking video on YouTube shows the reign of terror fascist thugs are unleashing in the streets of Kiev following last month’s Western-backed putsch.
German media campaigns for economic sanctions against Russia
By Johannes Stern, 20 March 2014
Following the referendum in Crimea, leading German media outlets are intensifying their warmongering while calling for tough sanctions against Russia.
US/European military provocations greet Russian annexation of Crimea
By Chris Marsden, 19 March 2014
The United States is lining up its puppet regime in Ukraine and its regional allies to prepare a series of military provocations against Russia.
US hypocrisy on Crimean independence referendum
By Chris Marsden, 19 March 2014
All invocations of Ukrainian sovereignty are in reference to a government that was installed by a coup engineered and financed by the Western powers.
Israel backs far-right coup in Ukraine
By Jean Shaoul, 18 March 2014
The Israeli government is supporting the fascist-led coup in Ukraine and keeping silent on the role of neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic forces.
US-EU sanctions against Russia: A barely veiled threat of war
By Alex Lantier, 18 March 2014
As he announced the imposition of sanctions, President Obama signaled that the US would consider all means necessary, including military action, to humiliate and crush Russia.
US, EU threaten retaliation as Crimea votes to join Russia
By Alex Lantier, 17 March 2014
US and EU officials pushed for sanctions and military escalation against Russia after Crimea rejected the Western-backed, far-right regime in Kiev and voted to join Russia.
Imperialist hypocrisy on Crimea
By Joseph Kishore, 17 March 2014
Sunday’s referendum in Crimea has been seized upon to escalate the imperialist offensive in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, whose ultimate aim is regime change or war against Russia.
The New York Times deploys C.J. Chivers to Ukraine
By Patrick Martin, 17 March 2014
The former Marine Corps officer with Special Forces training has been closely aligned with US dirty work in the Middle East and Central Asia.
US-Russia talks on Ukraine collapse ahead of Crimean independence referendum
By Alex Lantier, 15 March 2014
Pressure from Washington and the European powers is driving the Ukrainian crisis to the brink of war.
What the Western-backed regime is planning for Ukrainian workers
By Julie Hyland, 15 March 2014
Social devastation is to be unleashed against a country that has already been subjected to the scorched earth economics of capitalist restoration.
Ukraine coup intensifies conflicts within Iran’s elite
By Keith Jones, 15 March 2014
While Iran has signaled its readiness to reach an accommodation with Washington, there are huge apprehensions and bitter internal conflicts over this course of action.
Germany threatens “massive damage” to Russia ahead of Crimea referendum
By Johannes Stern and Alex Lantier, 14 March 2014
Ahead of Sunday’s referendum on the status of Crimea, Berlin and Washington are escalating pressure on Russia, risking civil war in Ukraine and war with Russia itself.
Alex Callinicos: An imperialist apologist writes on Ukraine
By Chris Marsden, 14 March 2014
Callinicos happily forgets what he wrote in 2008 because he is intent on defending the putsch carried out by Washington in Kiev and insisting that Russia is the imperialist aggressor.
After White House meeting with Ukrainian prime minister
Obama issues new threats against Russia
By Chris Marsden, 13 March 2014
The US has effectively taken operational control of the military activities of Ukraine’s neighbours.
What is behind the warmongering of the German media?
By Peter Schwarz, 12 March 2014
Two weeks after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was chased out of office by armed gangs of fascists, the German media is virtually unanimous in support of the confrontational course adopted by Berlin and Washington towards Russia.
Kiev to build new army, impose austerity as civil war threatens Ukraine
By Alex Lantier, 12 March 2014
With Ukraine facing the likely secession of Crimea, the far-right regime in Kiev is moving to slash social spending and build a new army.
What the European Union said in 2012 about its current fascist allies in Ukraine
By Alex Lantier, 12 March 2014
The EU’s 2012 resolution condemning Ukrainian fascism refutes media claims that fascism plays only a minor role in the new pro-Western regime in Kiev.
Oligarchs to the fore once again in Ukraine
By Julie Hyland, 12 March 2014
The unelected Ukrainian government has appointed prominent oligarchs to head regional administrations in Ukraine’s most important industrial eastern regions.
War propaganda in the German media
By Ulrich Rippert, 12 March 2014
On the issue of the conflict in Ukraine leading German newspapers have replaced any serious attempt to convince their readers with a barrage of propaganda.
Denouncing Crimea referendum, US and EU step up pressure on Russia
By Johannes Stern, 11 March 2014
Officials from the EU and the US are reportedly to meet in London today to discuss another round of sanctions that could be formally adopted at an EU foreign ministers summit on March 17—the day after the Crimean referendum.
Ukraine, the United States and international law
By Joseph Kishore, 11 March 2014
The United States has systematically violated the national sovereignty of Ukraine to unconstitutionally overthrow an elected government and install a far-right regime that includes Neo-Nazis whose thugs served as the shock troops for the February 22 putsch.
US builds up military forces, threatens end to diplomacy over Ukraine
By Chris Marsden, 10 March 2014
Washington spent the weekend ramping up pressure on its allies to intensify the provocations and threats against Russia over Ukraine.
Germany: The Süddeutsche Zeitung and the poison of militarism
By Ulrich Rippert, 10 March 2014
The escalation of the crisis in Ukraine is being used to fire a media propaganda campaign against widespread anti-war attitudes in Germany.
US, Europe step up pressure as Ukrainian crisis intensifies
By Peter Symonds, 8 March 2014
A Russian foreign ministry statement condemned the US and EU sanctions as “extremely unconstructive” and warned “they will not remain unanswered.”
New Zealand parliament unanimously backs US in Ukraine crisis
By Tom Peters, 8 March 2014
Labour, the Greens and the Mana Party supported the government’s motion condemning Russia and backing the extreme right-wing US-backed regime installed in Kiev.
US, European Union impose sanctions against Russia
By Alex Lantier, 7 March 2014
The Western powers ratcheted up threats and sanctions against Russia Thursday, while the US mounted a major military buildup in Europe.
The crisis in Ukraine and the historical consequences of the dissolution of the Soviet Union
By Peter Schwarz and David North, 7 March 2014
It is becoming clearer every day that the United States and Germany instigated the crisis in Ukraine with the intention of provoking a confrontation with Russia.
German media campaigns for war in Ukraine
By Ulrich Rippert, 7 March 2014
So-called liberal German media outlets have responded to the intensification of the crisis in Ukraine with a vehement campaign for war.
Japan’s diplomacy in shambles over Ukraine crisis
By Peter Symonds, 7 March 2014
Japanese support for the US confrontation with Russia is undermining Tokyo’s efforts over the past year to forge closer ties with Moscow.
Amid Ukraine crisis, US launches military escalation in Eastern Europe
By Alex Lantier, 6 March 2014
The military moves were a continuation of the provocative stance the US has adopted following Russian moves to secure Crimea in the wake of the anti-Russian coup in Ukraine.
The fascist danger in Ukraine
By Julie Hyland, 6 March 2014
For the first time since 1945, an avowedly anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi party controls key levers of state power in a European capital, courtesy of US and European imperialism.
Leaked phone call suggests opposition snipers killed Maidan protesters
By Alex Lantier, 6 March 2014
More details are emerging on the forces the imperialist powers relied upon to oust Yanukovych.
US threatens Russia as Ukraine crisis escalates
By Chris Marsden, 5 March 2014
Having backed a fascist-led putsch in Ukraine, US officials are seeking to deepen alliances with various ex-Soviet republics in order to isolate Russia.
US imperialism, Ukraine and the danger of World War III
By Barry Grey and David North, 5 March 2014
The fact that Washington has chosen to provoke a direct confrontation with a nuclear power must be taken by the people of the world as a stark warning.
China treads cautiously after pro-US coup in Ukraine
By James Cogan, 5 March 2014
The response of China to the US- and European Union-backed coup in Ukraine, and Russia’s subsequent intervention to maintain control over the Crimean peninsula, is being closely monitored by political leaders and strategic analysts around the world. Any decision by Beijing to openly support Moscow’s actions would dramatically escalate the global tensions that now exist.
Australian government backs Washington’s anti-Russian confrontation
By Peter Symonds, 5 March 2014
The entire Australian political and media establishment has lined up in lock-step behind the Obama administration’s intervention into the Ukraine crisis, its support of last month’s fascist-led putsch and its denunciations of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the dispatch of troops into Crimea.
US steps up pressure on Russia amid growing risk of war over Ukraine
By Stefan Steinberg, 4 March 2014
The world is being brought face to face with the disastrous consequences of the dissolution of the USSR, which has left the region vulnerable to imperialist intrigue, provocations and the rise of far-right forces functioning as tools of imperialism.
US media escalates propaganda offensive on Ukraine
By Joseph Kishore and David North, 4 March 2014
In the wake of the right-wing coup in Ukraine organized by the United States and the European powers, the American media is unleashing a torrent of lies and propaganda.
Canada supports Ukraine coup, threats to Russia
By Keith Jones, 4 March 2014
Canada’s Conservative government is issuing bellicose threats against Russia in unison with the Obama administration.
US-backed Ukrainian regime mobilizes reserves, threatening war with Russia
By Alex Lantier, 3 March 2014
The tensions between Moscow and Kiev directly raise the risk of a clash between Russia and the NATO powers backing Kiev.
The crisis in Ukraine
By The International Committee of the Fourth International, 3 March 2014
The crisis that has erupted in Ukraine following the right-wing coup engineered by the United States and Germany and the intervention of Russia into Crimea has created the most dangerous international confrontation since the end of World War II.
The political fraud of International Viewpoint’s statement on Ukraine
By the International Committee of the Fourth International, 3 March 2014
The attribution of this statement to the ICFI is a political provocation whose purpose is to discredit Trotskyism by associating it with the right-wing politics of the neo-Pabloite organizations.
Ukraine alleges Russian “invasion” of Crimea as Obama warns of “costs”
By Chris Marsden, 1 March 2014
The putsch engineered by Washington in alliance with corrupt oligarchs and fascist gangs threatens to lead to a direct clash between Russia and the US and European powers.
Obama and Kerry lecture Russia on Ukraine
By Bill Van Auken, 1 March 2014
Who are Obama and Kerry to lecture Moscow on “stability” and “territorial integrity” after US imperialism has promoted mayhem and the breakup of states in the region?
US, Europe step up threats against Russia over Ukraine
By Stefan Steinberg, 28 February 2014
US and European statements calling upon other countries to avoid “provocative action” in Ukraine are utterly hypocritical.
After pro-EU putsch in Ukraine, Russia puts military on alert
By Alex Lantier, 27 February 2014
Moscow carried out large-scale military exercises yesterday amid rising tensions over the Crimea with the Western-backed, far-right regime in Kiev.
The geopolitical dimensions of the coup in Ukraine
By Peter Schwarz, 27 February 2014
What is at stake in the Ukraine is an international struggle for power and influence that stretches back a quarter of a century.
Attempts of EU, far-right opposition to set up Ukraine government collapse
By Alex Lantier, 26 February 2014
Amid pressure for austerity from international banks and rising tensions with Russia, Saturday’s fascist-led putsch is proving to be an attempt to impose a dictatorship of finance capital.
Coup in Ukraine: A warning to the international working class
By Peter Schwarz, 25 February 2014
What has seemed unthinkable since 1945 has come to pass: while the US and Germany ruthlessly destabilized Ukraine, fascists have become the decisive force on the ground.
Western-backed Ukrainian opposition seizes power in fascist-led putsch
By Chris Marsden, 24 February 2014
After Saturday’s putsch backed by the US and European Union, fascistic elements allied to various sections of the Ukrainian oligarchy have seized Kiev.
French government applauds coup in Ukraine
By Kumaran Ira, 24 February 2014
Paris’ embrace of Ukrainian fascists exposes the political criminality of its foreign policy and the hypocrisy of its claims to oppose neo-fascism in France.
Ukrainian regime bows to pressure from Washington, EU and far-right opposition
By Peter Schwarz and Alex Lantier, 22 February 2014
On Friday, President Viktor Yanukovych signed an agreement meeting key demands of the far-right demonstrators in Ukraine.
Dozens killed in Ukraine as EU and Washington step up pressure on Yanukovych government
By Stefan Steinberg, 21 February 2014
The Obama administration and its European allies are supporting far-right and fascistic political forces to achieve their aim of regime-change in Ukraine.
Berlin and Washington foment civil war in Ukraine
By Peter Schwarz, 20 February 2014
Political leaders in Washington, Berlin and Brussels are prepared to split Ukraine, drive the country into civil war and risk a conflagration in the entire region to achieve their geopolitical goals.
US, European Union threaten sanctions against Ukraine
By Bill Van Auken, 20 February 2014
Amid warnings of a “coup” and “civil war,” Washington and the EU threatened sanctions against Ukrainian officials as part of the escalating Western campaign for regime change.
Clashes in Ukraine signal escalation of US-EU intervention
By Oliver Campbell and Peter Symonds, 19 February 2014
The bloody scenes in Kiev are the direct outcome of the campaign waged by the US and Germany to oust Ukrainian President Yanukovych.
Leaked phone call on Ukraine lays bare Washington’s gangsterism
By Bill Van Auken, 10 February 2014
The leaked tape of a phone call between the State Department’s Victoria Nuland and the US ambassador to Ukraine provides an unvarnished expression of the gangster methods employed by US imperialism.
US response to leaked call confirms US/EU regime-change plot in Ukraine
By Alex Lantier, 8 February 2014
The leaked US diplomatic call provides a glimpse of how Washington organizes provocations to install authoritarian regimes in countries it is targeting.
US regime-change operation in Ukraine exposed in leaked diplomatic phone call
By Patrick O’Connor, 7 February 2014
US officials discussed which right-wing opposition figures were to be placed in power in Ukraine.
Ukraine and the pro-imperialist intellectuals
By Alex Lantier, 5 February 2014
The “Open letter on the future of Ukraine” issued by Western academics and foreign policy operatives is a vile defense of the ongoing far-right protests in Ukraine.
EU and Washington step up pressure on Ukraine
By Peter Schwarz, 4 February 2014
In Ukraine, the EU and the US are seeking to install a technocratic government pledged to implement harsh economic reforms and change the constitution.
Western powers, opposition step up pressure on Ukrainian regime
By Stefan Steinberg, 31 January 2014
The regime of Yanukovych and his cronies is being pressured out of office to make way for a regime more aligned on US and EU interests.
Ukrainian Prime Minister resigns as EU keeps pressure on Russia
By Stefan Steinberg, 29 January 2014
The Ukrainian government’s resignation followed intense pressure by the European Union and the US which both intervened directly to promote opposition protests.
As Ukrainian regime totters, oligarchs call for talks with right-wing opposition
By Alex Lantier, 28 January 2014
The intervention of the oligarchs underscores the anti-working class austerity agenda driving both the regime and the far-right opposition.
Pro-Western Ukrainian opposition stokes up civil war
By Stefan Steinberg, 27 January 2014
Pro-Western opposition forces in Ukraine have pushed the country one step closer to civil war by insisting on regime-change.
As riots spread, right-wing Ukrainian opposition threatens new clashes
By Alex Lantier, 24 January 2014
The right-wing, Western-backed opposition threatened to step up violent protests, as pro-opposition rioters took over state buildings in several cities in western Ukraine.
Three dead in clash between Ukrainian regime and right-wing protesters
By Stefan Steinberg, 23 January 2014
In seeking to topple the Yanukovich regime, the EU and US have unleashed nationalist and neo-fascist forces that threaten to plunge Ukraine into turmoil.
Ukraine opposition leader meets with president to defuse protests
By Stefan Steinberg, 21 January 2014
Having brought Ukraine to the brink of civil war, Berlin has advised the opposition to enter talks with the government.
Russian offer of aid sharpens international power struggle over Ukraine
By Johannes Stern, 18 December 2013
The deal between Putin and Yanukovich is at least for the time being a setback for European and US imperialism.
Tensions rise in Ukraine amid dueling pro- and anti-EU rallies
By Alex Lantier, 16 December 2013
Demonstrations for and against Ukrainian membership in the European Union shook Kiev as the EU pressed for deeper austerity measures.
Which way forward for Ukrainian workers?
By Peter Schwarz, 14 December 2013
The absence of the working class as an independent and self-conscious force is bound up with the reactionary legacy of Stalinism.
Ukraine round-table talks fail as power struggle intensifies
By Johannes Stern, 14 December 2013
The power struggle in the Ukraine intensified after the failure of round-table talks between the government and right-wing parties leading pro-European Union protests.
Stand-off in Ukrainian power struggle continues
By Peter Schwarz, 12 December 2013
Pro-European Union protesters continued to occupy Independence Square in Kiev yesterday after riot police failed in an attempt to force them off the streets.
Factional struggle intensifies between Ukraine’s oligarchs
By Ulrich Rippert, 11 December 2013
The current political crisis in Ukraine centers around which group of rival oligarchs will come out on top.
Ukrainian government issues ultimatum to end pro-EU protests
By Stefan Steinberg, 10 December 2013
The government has set an ultimatum to demonstrators expiring at midnight, at which time all occupied government buildings are to be vacated.
Mass protests in Ukraine demand ouster of President Yanukovich
By Alex Lantier, 9 December 2013
Hundreds of thousands participated in right-wing, pro-EU protests against the oligarchic regime of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich.
The struggle for Ukraine
By Peter Schwarz, 6 December 2013
The protests in Ukraine bear the label “Made in Germany,” “Made in the EU” and “Made in America.”
Pro-European Union protests mount in Kiev
By Peter Schwarz, 3 December 2013
There is no fight for democracy and the rule of law taking place in Ukraine, but rather a conflict among oligarchs and a power struggle between Europe and Russia.
Ukraine abandons plans for closer ties to the European Union
By Clara Weiss and Peter Schwarz, 27 November 2013
On Thursday, Ukraine suddenly abandoned plans to closely link itself with the European Union, provoking a political crisis in the country.
EU in tug of war with Russia over Ukraine
By Clara Weiss, 8 November 2013
The planned signing of an association and free trade agreement between the European Union and Ukraine has led to sharp tensions with Russia.
Tensions grow between Ukraine and Russia
By Clara Weiss, 22 August 2013
Russia’s Customs Agency halted the import of Ukrainian goods to Russia last Thursday.
Ukraine bombings point to growing political tensions
By Niall Green, 30 April 2012
Explosions in Ukraine point to mounting tensions within the country’s ruling elite.
Russia signs trade deal with former Soviet republics amid growing regional tensions
By Niall Green, 24 October 2011
Russia has struck a free-trade deal with several of its ex-Soviet neighbors. The move is especially significant as it brings Ukraine and Russia closer together at a time when the EU is attempting to strike its own trade deal with Kiev.
Ukraine abandons NATO candidacy
By Niall Green, 12 June 2010
The new administration in Kiev seeks to improve ties with Moscow and the EU, while preparing with austerity measures against the working class.
The Ukrainian election and the demise of the “Orange Revolution”
By Niall Green, 3 March 2010
The crushing defeat of Viktor Yushchenko in Ukraine’s presidential poll in January and the election of Viktor Yanukovich in the second round vote held February 7 mark the ignominious end of the 2004 “Orange Revolution.”
Political turmoil continues in Ukraine after presidential election
By Andrea Peters, 13 February 2010
Ukraine remains embroiled in political conflict after last weekend’s run-off election that gave the presidency to Viktor Yanukovich, who defeated rival Yulia Timoshenko by a margin of just over 3 percent.
Ukraine election marks declining US influence in region
By Niall Green, 21 January 2010
The humiliating defeat of incumbent Viktor Yushchenko in Sunday’s Ukrainian presidential election represents a serious blow to the strategic interests of the United States.
Widespread disaffection in lead-up to Ukrainian presidential elections
By Niall Green, 16 January 2010
Five years after the “Orange Revolution,” and with the country mired in economic crisis, the same oligarchic politicians vie for power in an election that has generated little enthusiasm among the Ukrainian people.
Five years since Ukraine’s “Orange Revolution”
By Niall Green, 28 December 2009
Five years after gaining office in the “Orange Revolution,” Viktor Yushchenko faces defeat in an election in which the same oligarchic forces vie for power as in 2004. Meanwhile ordinary Ukrainians endure the ravages of the global economic crisis.
Ukrainian economy suffers sharp fall in 2009
By Niall Green, 29 October 2009
Five years after the “Orange Revolution,” the Ukrainian economy is in the deepest crisis since the post-Soviet economic and social implosion of the 1990s.
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