Ukrainian ‘Maidan’ Comes Up Empty-Handed

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko during a meeting with military personnel at the Shirokino region command center (Photo: Mikhail Palinchak/press-service of the President of the Ukraine/TASS)

Originally appeared at Svpressa, translated by Alice Decker exclusively for SouthFront

Big Business “independently” presents serious demands to the “war party”

Petro Poroshenko will not attend the traditional “Ukrainian lunch” in Davos, Switzerland, although this is the main event on behalf of Kiev at the World Economic Forum, which will take place on January 17-20 of this year. The lunch is sponsored by Victor Pinchuk’s foundation. Every winter the leading figures of Ukraine have been sure to make their appearance here. Why is Poroshenko now going into “denial”?

According to sources from the Kiev Foreign Ministry, the decision was made after an article by Pinchuk was published in the Wall Street Journal about “painful compromises” for the sake of settling the conflict in the Donbas. “The President will have his program in Davos; however, after the Pinchuk article, that is one event he simply will not attend,” said the diplomats.

More problems

Exactly a year ago at Davos, Petro Aleckseievich had already offended the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnyev. At a breakfast for the heads of delegations, an unprecedented incident took place. The debate got heated and Trutnyev and Kharkiv jumped out of their seats.

— It got personal. They grabbed each other by the clothes. They had to be pulled apart. Poroshenko apparently lost sight of the fact that his body guard was not present. This was a closed event, only for the heads of delegations, one of the direct participants in the scandalous VIP-breakfast told the press.

Deputy Prime Minister Trutnyev is an aficionado of the martial arts. He is a fifth Dan in karate Kyokushinkai, and he trains hard, daily. There is no question how a grappling match with such a person would have turned out for the current Ukrainian leader. So the “chocolate king” chose to leave the room before “Putin’s Colorado.”

And suddenly it turns out that in Switzerland-2017 a threat was prepared for Poroshenko that was much more dangerous than “to seyken-ago-uti” — a straight punch to the chin. Ukraine should sacrifice Crimea for the sake of peace with Russia, and agree to the freezing of the conflict in the Donbass. This is what the Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Pinchuk, son-in-law of ex-president Leonid Kuchma, wrote in the Wall Street Journal.

“Crimea should not stand in the way of a deal [with Russia — ed.] that will end the war in the East,” — says the article by the “traitor” Pinchuk. — We may have to agree to local elections in the Donbass… If that’s what it takes to demonstrate Ukraine’s commitment to peaceful reunification, then we may have to accept this compromise in order to save thousands of lives.”

In the author’s opinion, Ukraine should focus on helping those who are forced to leave their homes and “cannot return to live in unsafe conditions.” It was almost ridiculous how Victor Pinchuk comforted the “Maidan” patriots, saying that in 15-20 years, when Ukraine is generating “residual economic growth and stabilizing the infrastructure, the social safety net and financial system,” that “everyone in Crimea will want to live in this future Ukraine, just as the people of East Germany wanted to become part of West Germany.”

Tell me who your friend is

The super-influential oligarch is skeptical about his country’s accession to the EU and proposes limiting the relationship to a “special partnership.” Also, he said, it would be prudent to abandon NATO. In his view, these goals should be removed from the agenda.

“Let’s face it, Ukraine will not join NATO in the short or medium term. We have not been invited, and if we were, it could lead to an international crisis of unprecedented scale. For the time being, we have to pursue an alternative security system and recognize the neutrality of our short-term outlook for the future,” sums up Pinchuk.

It is well known that the current plan for Ukraine’s political and economic development is being developed by a personal friend of Victor Pinchuk, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. At the heart of the plan is the idea that Russia guarantees the security in eastern Ukraine. In exchange, the West should not interfere in the “Crimean issue.”

In other words, the Wall Street Journal article is in fact written to be played by four hands. A desperate cry from the Ukrainian Nazis has already sounded from the lips of the first vice-speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Irina Gerashchenko. Yushchenko’s ex-Press Secretary, today Irina Gerashchenko is “authorized by the Minsk agreements.” “With all due respect for Mr. Kissinger’s outstanding diplomatic record, and with all due respect for Mr. Pinchuk, I do not think their ideas are realistic. They have taken into account the interests of the USA and Russia, Putin and Trump, but they’ve forgotten about what’s key — the position of the Ukrainian people. The people are not going to capitulate and give up on Euro-Atlantic integration, in order to reassure Europe and the Russian Federation,” the excited Rada delegate said on Facebook.

Indeed, who would give up on “Euro-Atlantic integration,” like the tasty poppy seeds sprinkled on the savory Christmas cake!

Wendy Sherman and the Donbass massacre

Who is behind the maniacal desire to tear the rebellious Donbass to pieces? Ukraine has   created a whole class of butchers. The “Azov” regiment is recruiting new fighters for its volunteer Nazi battalions. Turchynov, Secretary of the National Security Council, announced he is ready to take the helm of a new radical party whose purpose will be to suppress any attempt at a peaceful settlement. Yes, for the “bloody pastor” Turchynov and his team, the cessation of hostilities would mean the end of a career. And maybe — their lives.

There are a lot of volunteers who need a “real war,” whose business is directly dependent on the meat grinder in the Southeast. Structures close to Poroshenko himself are earning considerable sums of money. For example, the state enterprise “Ukroboronservis,” which is part of the state concern “Ukroboronprom” [defense industry] to start production of the Ukrainian American M16 rifle according to NATO standards. Complete nonsense, but the penny has dropped!

And now we should look back to three years ago. No one had been killed yet in the Donbas. However, on 21 March 2014, Dnepropetrovsk experienced a great event — when Governor Igor Kolomoisky and Wendy Sherman, Deputy to US Secretary of State John Kerry, met behind closed doors.

After secret negotiations, the duo were of one mind and went before the press. “The president and the United States secretary of state have sent me here to show our solidarity and support. Ukraine is facing difficult challenges, beginning with issues of security,” said Ms. Sherman. The honorable guest spoke about her visit to the famous Dnepropetrovsk synagogue “the Golden Rose” and to the largest cultural center in Europe, “Menora.” Herself a descendant of immigrants from Kiev, she stated that she understands Kolomoisky very well — the head of the European Council of Jewish Communities and the President of the European Jewish Union (EJU): “There are a lot of people who talk about the terrible things happening all over Ukraine. But I can only see the desire of the people to come together in order to achieve a prosperous democratic future. “

Igor Kolomoiski did not comment on the results of the negotiations. He is generally a man of action. Wendy Sherman personally gave the go-ahead to clean up the Southeast. Immediately after the visit of the American, the punitive battalion “Dnepr” began shooting civilians in the Donbass. Almost simultaneously, the order was given to start aerial bombing and the use of tanks and heavy artillery, by the former ideologue of the Dnipropetrovsk regional Komsomol Committee, the Acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov

That’s how the war began. And it seems to be the only way it can be ended. Unless, of course, US interests change.

“Tavria-SKIF” wants to go back to Putin

There is in Kiev something called the “A. Razumkov Center for Political and Economic Studies.” A powerful sociological service, it never hid the fact that it lives on American grants. And suddenly, the Center floored the “Ukrainian heroes” with the unthinkable results of a survey conducted just before the new year. It turns out that 55% of Ukrainians want to return to the Soviet Union and friendship with Russia.

Moreover, according to the published data, up to 87% of Southeast Ukraine consider the Russians to be “brothers.” And that was even after Crimea and the third year of the “Anti-Terrorist Operation”! This situation is literally knocking the feet out from under those who still have not removed the “Maidan pot” from their heads. And most importantly, it’s clear that these figures could not be presented without the explicit approval of the main sponsors of modern Kievan sociology.

An anti-government protester wears a pot as a helmet at a rally on Maidan Nezalezhnosti on Jan. 19, 2014.

Dirty insults from the top Ukrainian leadership towards Donald Trump, throughout the US election campaign. An unequivocal bet that Hillary Clinton, “the savior,” would win. And in the end the recognition that this was stupid and should not have been done. People from the major Ukrainian business network put the word out that “Pinchuk’s suggestions were already being discussed in business circles long since.”

“In the current situation Ukraine will long remain a dead zone for investment and business. Everyone understands that it’s time to end this war and to somehow mend relations with Russia. Pinchuk, as a person who has broad connections in the West and has serious support there, merely gave voice to these sentiments and these proposals. And business, at least the people I talk to, subscribes to each of them. I think the society also supports these ideas. Because it is impossible to misread the mood of the Ukrainian Facebook and the Ukrainian people. The majority of Ukrainians want peace and a normal life. And if some of the current leaders who are waging war do not understand this, then I’m afraid they will have to leave,” says an unnamed source in Kiev’s Internet-newspaper “The Country.”

Cherkassy food plant “Finval 2006” published an appeal to Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko. Employees of the company are demanding to restore economic ties with Russia. The appeal noted that the rupture in relations with Russia and the CIS was having a negative effect the economics of the enterprise: revenues are falling, and the plant may close.

The guys from Cherkassy admit that the quotas provided by the EU turned out to be paltry and were inadequate to compensate the company for the loss of its principal markets. “Therefore, we support the view of some members of Parliament about the need to restore trade and economic relations with the CIS countries and Russia, primarily because we need to restore the markets for our products.”

The mighty agrarian holding company “Robusta Agro” from the Kherson region also appealed to Poroshenko with a demand to restore economic ties with Russia. The company’s elevator capacities amount to more than 45,000 tons. “Signing the Association Agreement with the EU has not brought Ukraine the desired recognition, no matter how hard the politicians try to convince us. And, first and foremost, this is very apparent to us as exporters. Because the EU’s export quotas for Ukraine are so small that they look more like a sop than a full partnership. But the familiar markets of Russia and the CIS countries that have always been friendly to us suddenly became unavailable.”

More than a dozen leading companies from eight regions of the country made similar calls on Kiev, including Zaporozhia, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Odessa and Poltava regions. In a formal appeal to the President they called Russia a strategic partner without which the companies are under threat.

At the end of the year, the workers in one of the leading agricultural plants in Zaporozhya’s “Tavria-SKIF” region asked to renew economic ties with Russia. In a letter, 250 employees warned that if cooperation with Russian partners was not restored soon, the company would go bankrupt. The head of the plant, Oleg Kaliman, stated that their products were rotting in warehouses because no one needed them, in Ukraine or in Europe.

Another issue

And now the most interesting part. Apparently this was written only by “Colorados”, “vata” and “Putin’s Sovki.” These must be burned, punished, “znyschuvaty”. Otherwise, European Ukraine will not be built. It would seem that in that same Cherkassy, the “pride of the nation” in camouflage should immediately fall upon those farmers from Kherson and Zaporozhia, smash their leaders, and mow down the “separatists” under machine-gun fire. And bring in the new Ukrainian order.

In post-Maidan Ukraine, unbeknownst to many, a subspecies of oligarchs has appeared — the agricultural lobby. In the current Parliament, the nominees of major corporations rule —”Myronivsky Bread,” “Kernel”, “Nibulon,” “UKRLandFarming.” The brothers, sons, and media managers for the main agricultural barons have become deputies.

When the “Petro Poroshenko Bloc” was asked about the allocation of deputies among the committees, most of them were after a position in the agricultural committee. Moreover, seven said they would like to lead the committee.

It’s particularly striking that the main beneficiaries of the agrarian sector are draped in luxury. A key lobbyist and agricultural oligarch, Yuri Kosyuk, built the “MHP” empire whose products known as the chicken brand, “Our Ryaba.”

After the “revolution of dignity” Kosyuk was appointed First Deputy Head of Poroshenko’s presidential administration. He has a couple of the most expensive yachts in Europe. In the summer of 2015 the chief and Turchynov made a raid on Dubrovnik, Croatia. Built a huge mansion on the border in the Kiev Theophany, which could be the envy of even Yanukovych. It would seem he should be rejoicing. But no.

— It’s as though you can visit me any time it’s convenient for you, but I can only see you on a certain day. And only for half an hour. And only with prior consent — says the Ukraine commerce billionaire about the EU. — There’s been no opening of markets. You know, wheels have a mechanism called the “nipple.” In one direction it goes, and in the other direction it doesn’t. Europe talks about a free trade zone with Ukraine, and at the same time signed a whole pile of exceptions and limitations for the export of Ukrainian goods.

— I think we’ve been cheated. Catastrophically large set limits or quotas for food exports from Ukraine. To help you understand: Ukraine produces 1.2 million tons of chicken meat per year. At the same time Europe gave Ukraine a duty-free quota of 16,000 tons. Well, plus the fact that it is- possible to import 20,000 tons of whole frozen chicken duty-free, which is absolutely of no use to anybody.

— For anything over and above this quota, the fee is more than 1000 Euro per ton, laments the Ukrainian billionaire, adding that the question of changing the quota will not even be raised in the next five years. — I think Ukraine’s been tricked. Just imagine: the agricultural firm “MHP” produces 700,000 tons of meat per year, exported 250,000 tons, and Europe has granted Ukraine a duty-free quota of 16,000 tons. Is this the free trade that we’re talking about…?

He knows where to send

So what do they want? The owner of a huge tube rolling plant in the region present freelance correspondent for the Wall Street Journal Victor Pinchuk desperately hopes to sell the “damn Moskal” their gas pipes. Because no one else, only Russia, continues to build the desired pipeline. And the king of “Nasha Ryaba,” Yuri Kosyuk, wants to resume his chicken’s profitable presence on the Russian market.

For this “dream” is needed to twist the heads of anyone who is against it. The Vatican’s ambassador Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti gave his blessing for the change. Toward the close of the year the Holy Father arrived in Luhansk People’s Republic and delivered a sermon during a religious service in the main Catholic church in Lugansk.

The Papal Nuncio pointedly reported on the successful cooperation between the people’s republics of Donbass and the authorities. “The fundamental and chief purpose of the visit is to witness the closeness and affection of the Pope to the people who live here on the eve of the Christmas holidays,” the Vatican ambassador told reporters in Luhansk. The day before, the archbishop visited Donetsk to bless all believers on behalf of the Pope.

“The greatest joy that I can bring and give you are the warmest embrace and blessing from the Holy Father Pope Francis… Think about the fact that there is a representative of the Pope with you now, only because the Pope himself cannot come, but know that he would love to be among you,” — said Gugerotti, during a sermon to the congregation.

Of course, Kiev was in shock, hysterical. However, Rome was far away. But the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is close to the Moscow Patriarchate. On 4 January the head of the UOC-MP Onuphrius was presented with the flag of the “cyborgs.” “Cool” ATO veterans came to Kiev’s Pecherskaya Lavra and thanked the Metropolitan for the release of Taras Kolodiy from captivity — the last of the Ukrainian special forces from the Donetsk airport.

Yes, the “cyborg” prisoner Kolodiy was released in Donetsk due to the joint efforts of the Russian Patriarch Kirill and the Metropolitan of Kiev, Onuphrius. Senior Lieutenant Sergey Biloshitsky of the 90th separate airmobile battalion also held the defense at the Donetsk airport. Starley handed Onufriev a flag with the signatures of the battalion scouts.

— On behalf of our Zhitomir brotherhood, I want to give you our flag. It was signed by the guys who served in the Special Intelligence … Many of them took part in the Ukrainian national religious procession this summer. The boys passed on their best wishes and wish you a long life. Very grateful! — the “Cyborg” boldly said, right in front of the Kiev media cameras.

Wait a moment: The Ukrainian religious procession in 2016, “for the sake of peace, love, and prayer for Ukraine,” provoked the hatred of the Nazis. They picketed it, banned it from entering the city, promised to crush and burn it. The “Right sector” set camouflaged pickets on the roads. But not one bastard dared to attack the Procession. Is that because, as it turned out, scouts from the 90th battalion were carrying the Orthodox Ukrainian banners?