EU Foreign Policy Chief Suggests US & UK Are 'Dramatizing' Ukraine Situation

[danmand]

EU Foreign Policy Chief Suggests US & UK Are 'Dramatizing' Ukraine Situation

MONDAY, JAN 24, 2022 - 10:40 AM
Amid what appears to be the beginnings of a NATO military build-up in Eastern Europe in "response" to Russia's own troop placements near the Russia-Ukraine border, Moscow is continuing to urge the West to halt its "hysteria" - which itself is fueling the crisis.
It responded to NATO's fresh albeit very limited deployments of jets and ships Monday with the following: "As for specific actions, we see statements by the North Atlantic Alliance about reinforcement, pulling forces and resources to the eastern flank. All this leads to the fact that tensions are growing," according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
"This is not happening because of what we, Russia, are doing. This is all happening because of what NATO and the U.S. are doing and due to the information they are spreading." Peskov denounced what he dubbed the "information hysteria" emanating from the US and West.

Josep Borrell visits a checkpoint in the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska in Luhansk Region, Ukraine early this month. Reuters
And as part of this general atmosphere of hype and build-up, both the US and UK embassies have begun drawing down some of their non-essential staff and diplomats' family members from Ukraine. "Officials say there have been no specific threats to British diplomats, but about half of the staff working in Kyiv will return to the UK," BBC noted of the move. This after the US claimed starting last week that a Russian invasion could come "at any time".
Israel has also entered high level discussions over a possible airlift of Jews from the country, citing the possibility of a Russian invasion, according to Haaretz on Monday:

With a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine looming, a briefing held Sunday by top officials in the Israeli government and Jewish organizations discussed the level of threat to Jewish communities in Ukraine and the possibility that Israel will facilitate an evacuation program.

But interestingly, so far it appears the EU at this point actually agrees with Russia concerning the overblown and unnecessary 'hysteria' surrounding the Ukraine situation.
According to AFP/Reuters reporting, Europe's top diplomat Josep Borrell said Monday there's no need to "dramatize" the situation while confirming that EU diplomats will not follow the US and UK in drawing down their presence in Ukraine:

The EU is not following the US in withdrawing its diplomats’ families from Ukraine, top European diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday (24 January), adding that there was no need to "dramatize" the situation while talks with Russia continue.
"We are not going to do the same thing because we don’t know any specific reasons," Borrell said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers which will include videolink participation by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"I don’t think we had to dramatize as far as the negotiations are going on — and they are going on."

Borell urged that diplomacy be given a chance, as the US and Russia - as well as NATO - continue to directly engage over the crisis in ongoing direct talks. His comments were indirectly aimed at Britain and the US, who've been far out front on hyping the Russia threat.
Below is Borell on Monday suggesting that some Western countries and officials are overly dramatizing the situation...

Crucially, Normandy format talks are set to kick off in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday, which has been pushed by Germany who has largely stayed neutral as Western allies escalate their response, where German, Russian, Ukrainian and French officials will tackle the Ukraine crisis.
Reuters had earlier reported that "Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukraine's chief negotiator Andriy Yermak, confirmed that a meeting in Paris was planned but told Reuters a preliminary date had been set for Jan. 26." The Kremlin had over the weekend stated the sides "agreed on further contacts, including the participation of the Ukrainian leadership so as to end [the conflict in eastern Ukraine] as soon as possible."

 

[jcpro]

Here's a question. Do we even know why we are in this? All Washington and EU had to say is that any incursion into Ukraine will result in a complete cut off of ALL economic exchange with Russia- including ALL travel, banking(freezing of assets and credit activity- commercial and private)- a total exclusion zone. That would put Putin's head on the block and make him back off.

 

[danmand]

Here's a question. Do we even know why we are in this? All Washington and EU had to say is that any incursion into Ukraine will result in a complete cut off of ALL economic exchange with Russia- including ALL travel, banking(freezing of assets and credit activity- commercial and private)- a total exclusion zone. That would put Putin's head on the block and make him back off.

I think Washington has said this.

 

[jcpro]

I think Washington has said this.

No they haven't. They slipped in a phrase- "sanctions against individuals " That means that the administration is thinking targeted sanctions. They don't work. The people close to Putin don't care about sanctions against them because they're close to Putin and he knows how to take care of his allies. As an aside, it makes me laugh when people in the West accuse Putin of stealing. What ignorance! Don't they know that Putin is a Czar in everything but the name??? Czars don't steal, they don't have to. Everything belongs to them. And, besides, what would he do with all that ill gotten cash? He's not retiring, Czars don't retire.

 

[danmand]

No they haven't. They slipped in a phrase- "sanctions against individuals " That means that the administration is thinking targeted sanctions. They don't work. The people close to Putin don't care about sanctions against them because they're close to Putin and he knows how to take care of his allies. As an aside, it makes me laugh when people in the West accuse Putin of stealing. What ignorance! Don't they know that Putin is a Czar in everything but the name??? Czars don't steal, they don't have to. Everything belongs to them. And, besides, what would he do with all that I'll gotten cash? He's not retiring, Czars don't retire.

Many people think Washington is threatening to cut access to SWIFT.


The 'Nuclear Option': What Is SWIFT And What Happens If Russia Is Cut Off From It?
December 09, 2021 16:57 GMT

Some call it the "nuclear option." It doesn't involve weapons though.
As U.S. President Joe Biden's administration considers economic threats to thwart what it fears is a new Kremlin plan to invade Ukraine, there is one option that is reportedly on the short list: cutting Russia off from the global electronic-payment-messaging system known as SWIFT.
It would be an unprecedented move against one of the world's major economies.
The White House has not confirmed it is threatening to disconnect Russian banks from SWIFT, which stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.
However, Biden himself added grist to the rumor mill on December 8 by warning that should Russian President Vladimir Putin decide to attack Ukraine, the United States and allies would slap his country with sanctions "like none he'd ever seen."

 

[jcpro]

Many people think Washington is threatening to cut access to SWIFT.


The 'Nuclear Option': What Is SWIFT And What Happens If Russia Is Cut Off From It?
December 09, 2021 16:57 GMT

Some call it the "nuclear option." It doesn't involve weapons though.
As U.S. President Joe Biden's administration considers economic threats to thwart what it fears is a new Kremlin plan to invade Ukraine, there is one option that is reportedly on the short list: cutting Russia off from the global electronic-payment-messaging system known as SWIFT.
It would be an unprecedented move against one of the world's major economies.
The White House has not confirmed it is threatening to disconnect Russian banks from SWIFT, which stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.
However, Biden himself added grist to the rumor mill on December 8 by warning that should Russian President Vladimir Putin decide to attack Ukraine, the United States and allies would slap his country with sanctions "like none he'd ever seen."

That would do it. That would make Putin back off. However, I'm not convinced that he is or was preparing to move on Ukraine. I think that he will just keep up the support for the separatists and keep the fire burning until a more receptive government is elected in Ukraine. I'm beginning to see the same "intelligence " patterns we have seen before in Iraq and Syria.