Tag Archives: Russia Ukraine conflict

Foreign Policy, Liberty Report

Ron Paul: Though Congress Blocks Nazi Training In Ukraine, U.S. Policy Remains Unchanged

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Despite a vote in Congress to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding Nazi training in Ukraine, the American foreign policy of interventionism remains unchanged, according to Ron Paul.

In his latest Liberty Report, the three-time presidential candidate and former U.S. representative from Texas juxtaposed the North Atlantic Trade Organization’s move—supported by the U.S.—to curtail Russian aggression by sending weaponry and 5,000 troops to eastern Europe, with the House of Representatives’ recent vote to prohibit funding for the Azov Battalion, an openly Nazi volunteer brigade in Ukraine.

“It’s hard to figure out exactly why we would need to be doing this,” Paul said. “Who do you think is behind this? What benefit do you think the American people are going to gain from us sending a lot of equipment to eastern Europe?”

Daniel McAdams, co-host of the Liberty Report, reminded the audience of a longstanding agreement between NATO and the Russians that the organization would not permanently position western troops or weaponry in the Balkans. “This would certainly, if not violate the agreement, come up against it,” McAdams said. “But the whole idea that putting 5,000 Americans as some sort of a tripwire against an 800,000-person strong Russian army, it makes absolutely no sense from a military perspective.”

Paul pointed out that the blame for this action is that we have to curtail Russian aggression. But what has the Russian government had to say about the matter? Paul read the following statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin: “I think that only an insane person and only in a dream can imagine that Russia would suddenly attack NATO. I think some countries are simply taking advantage of people’s fears with regard to Russia.”

McAdams compared the movement of NATO and American troops to Russia’s border to a bad dream, noting that if Russia moves some troops within its own country, it could be considered Russian aggression.

Though the New York Times and other media outlets reported that this action hasn’t been approved by the U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter or President Obama, Paul wondered how far this could go without the two at least knowing about it. Congress hasn’t had an agreement either on these plans either, Paul said.

Running parallel to this story is the fact that U.S.-led training of in Kiev might be helping the wrong people. Paul cited a report from Robert Perry on how many of the volunteer brigades receiving American support are openly Nazi. Now the House has passed an amendment that prohibits this sort of training for one Nazi group in particular—the Azov Battalion.

Is this any assurance? Even if there is an amendment, does that change anything?

Watch the full episode above and check out more episodes of the Ron Paul Liberty Report here at Truth In Media.

In case you missed Ben Swann’s Truth In Media episode on ISIS watch it below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kdi1UXxhY

Liberty Report

Ron Paul: Europeans Oppose NATO War With Russia

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While the North Atlantic Treaty Organization beats war drums and the media propagates opposition to Russia, a new survey shows that the majority of the European people oppose NATO war with Russia.

The poll, conducted by PEW Research shows that populations in these countries are firmly against war with Russia even if Russian forces attack a NATO member country.

In his latest Liberty Report, three-time presidential candidate and former Texas Rep. Ron Paul discussed the poll findings, his thoughts on NATO and war with Russia. “One disappointing thing was that more than the majority of the American people and the Canadian people were for getting engaged and sending troops,” Paul said. “That’s not the case in Europe.” Paul also noted that the poll shows older people skewing in favor of intervention while younger people are more pro-peace.

“I think one of our problems is that we creep into war, and it’s not done by accident,” Paul explained. An example of this creeping is yesterday’s vote in Congress to raise the discussion on whether or not we should allow President Barack Obama the authority to use military force in the war on the Islamic State. Moreover, the sanctions imposed on other countries by the U.S. government is essentially an act of war, he said.

Though there may have been some questions on the economic impact of taking on Russia over Ukraine, sanctions don’t seem to be opposed. The U.S. pushed for broad new sanctions against Russia at G-7 in April of last year, and Truth In Media reported on a new series of sanctions against Russia by the U.S. and European Union last July.

“I think the people, maybe too often, maybe in Canada and in the United States, they get their opinions from FOX and MSNBC,” Paul said. “And they sort-of preach this doctrine that we have these obligations to go and fight these wars. But it really doesn’t solve what our country ought to do with NATO. I’m afraid NATO is going to be with us for a very long time. I see it as only a tool for our propaganda.”

Paul has been vocal in his position against NATO for years and has cited former Sen. Robert A. Taft’s reasoning for opposing the creation of the NATO alliance from the start.

And NATO is only expanding. Liberty Report co-host Daniel McAdams pointed out that the alliance is building a new headquarters with a hefty price tag. In spite of this, McAdams cited statistics showing U.S. opinion of NATO is shifting toward disapproval.

Paul again reinforced the idea that putting tough sanctions on a country is an act of war. “There was another figure I thought was interesting about how militant the Russians are now, how they’re ready to come, ‘the Russians are coming’,” he explained. “. . . and here, the people closest to them aren’t too worried about it.” If you examine military expenditures and consider who is spending the most, the U.S. reigns supreme. Second is China, followed by Saudi Arabia and then Russia.

“It’s perpetual war for perpetual peace because we are the good guys and we’re after the evil doers and we’re an exceptional nation,” Paul said. “It puts us in a tough spot because there is so much greatness that has been associated with America and the advancement for the cause of Liberty. But I can’t argue that the advancement for the cause of liberty has been very good for the past 100 years. But these people that argue the case that because of our greatness and we protect liberty—and you can make a case for the evil doers ISIS—but think of who does more beheadings than ISIS. It happens to be Saudi Arabia. So this is the problem, and this also opens up the door for advancing our cause and our foreign policy, which is the traditional American foreign policy. It is one that the founders advised.”

Watch the full episode above and check out more episodes of the Ron Paul Liberty Report here at Truth In Media.

In case you missed Ben Swann’s Truth In Media episode on ISIS watch it below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kdi1UXxhY

International, Politics

Russia has reportedly sent 1,000 troops into Ukraine

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Satellite pictures from NATO have been released, reportedly showing up to 1,000 armed Russian forces inside of Ukraine, supporting separatists as well as fighting on the side of the separatists.

NATO Brigadier General Niko Tak told the BBC there has been a “significant escalation” in the level of Russian military activity and sophisticated weaponry in and near Ukraine over the past two weeks.  “[NATO has] detected large quantities of advanced weapons, including air defense systems, artillery, tanks, and armoured personnel carriers being transferred to separatist forces in eastern Ukraine,” he said.

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said earlier today, according to the New York Times,  Russian soldiers and armaments had indeed crossed into Ukraine, but warned the Ukrainian national security council a panicked response would only cause further destabilization of the situation.  “The situation is certainly extremely difficult,” Poroshenko said, “and nobody is going to simplify it.”

Other Ukrainian officials are going one step further saying the Russians forces entering Ukraine constitute an invasion.

Mykhailo Lysenko, deputy commander of the Ukrainian Donbas battalion, said the Russian forces have begun a two front invasion of Ukraine.  Troops are entering Ukraine, according to CNN, from southeast of the rebel held town of Donetsk, while other Russian forces are entering the country along the nation’s southern coast near the town of Novoazovsk.

The town of Novoazovsk is a critical point in the Russia-Ukraine conflict as it establishes a supply route from Russia to the Russian-annexed Crimea.  Pro-Russian forces in Ukraine have said, according to Al-Jazeera, the link could give their forces control over the Sea of Azov, which experts claim is rich in minerals and natural gas.

“Today we reached the Sea of Azov,” prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, said to Reuters.  “The process of liberating our land, which is temporarily occupied by the Ukrainian authorities, will keep going further and further.” 

All of this comes in the wake of a meeting on Tuesday between Poroshenko and Russian president Vladimir Putin.  Poroshenko reportedly said the talks were “positive” and Putin had accepted the principles of a peace plan.  However, Putin said only Kiev could secure a cease-fire between separatists and Ukraine, saying “We in Russia cannot talk about any conditions for the cease-fire.”