Feb 21, 2022, 12:30pm US Central time
Russia Has Given Up On Negotiations and Will Resolve the Donbass Issue by Recognizing the Independence of the Republics
Paul Craig Roberts
As I sit down to write Tass has not yet announced Putin’s decision about Russia’s recognization of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, formerly Russian territory that the Soviet government attached to Ukraine. However, as the decision of the Russian Security Council was unanimous, supported even by the pro-American Atlanticist Integrationist member, Putin will not go against the position of the Security Council. Putin himself was of the same opinion as his statements and questions indicated.
Understand that this is not about reabsorbing Donbass into Russia like Crimea, but merely recognizing the republics as independent countries.
This will give the protection of international law to the republics, and Russia being a stickler for international law, unlike the West, will see that law defends the republics.
I listened to the one hour, 35 minute Security Council meeting during which the various members discussed their eight years of frustrations with negotiating with the US, NATO, EU that never went anywhere. During these eight years many Donbass Russians were killed by Ukrainian forces which have succeeded in occupying some of the territory of the republics.
What is not clear at this point is whether the recognition of the Donbass republics includes all of the territory including those areas occupied by Ukrainian forces and neo-Nazi militias.
If you watch the video of the meeting, which has English translation, you will see for yourself that Russia has tried for eight years to resolve the situation by keeping the Donbass in Ukraine but protected by the Minsk Agreement signed by Ukraine and guaranteed by Germany and France. It is impossible not to admire the patience of the Russians, although it was patience at the expense of the lives of Donbass Russians.
Today the Russian government ran out of patience, and I don’t think they will have much patience with the West in the future.
This is a good thing because it will make Europe less an enabler of Washington’s trouble-making for Russia. Every European government knows that it is impossible for Washington/NATO to protect them without recourse to nuclear weapons, which of course means their destruction, not their protection. Europe will be more interested in having good relations with Russia.
I would bet that Ukraine President Zelensky, whatever he says, is also relieved. Zelensky has not been able to function as president, because he is caught between Washington and the CIA controlled neo-Nazi militias and is up for reelection. Now that Russia has given recognition to the republics, Zelensky can resist Washington’s push to use Ukraine’s military to attack the Donbass Russians. Zelensky will gain authority from the Kremlin’s decision as the decision will make it more difficult for Washington to use Ukraine against Russia. Of course, Washington won’t stop trying.
We know how this will play out in Washington and in the whore media. The New York Times will be handed a “news report” from the CIA. It will say that the recognition of the republics is a prelude to a Russian invasion. Washington, which is always for “self-determination” but only if “self-determination” is the result of a Washington led coup, will not recognize Donbass independence and will try to foment war between Ukraine and Russia. The New York Times and the rest of the whores will continue to predict “Russian invasion.”
But Europe is now wary, whatever is said publicly, and Ukrainians know that no one is coming to their aid if they are shoved into a war with Russia. There is a good chance that Washington will lose control of the narrative. If not, it will be Ukraine and Europe that pay the price.