1. ThatJ says:

    February 24, 2015 at 12:05 am

    Psaki’s daily briefing from today: http://state.gov/md237795.htm

    UESTION: So with the Ukrainians now saying that they cannot withdraw their heavy arms, which would apparently be a violation of the Minsk agreements – well, first, would you consider that a violation of Minsk agreements? They’re saying that it’s because they continue to receive fire.

    MS. PSAKI: Well, I think we need to remember the context here, Elliot. Obviously, in terms of withdrawal of arms and moving back and de-escalating, a large percentage of that and the needs are from the Russian-backed separatist side. They’re in a country that is not their own that is a sovereign country. And so that is where we have the greatest concern.

    I would also remind everybody that exactly a year ago on Sunday, the people of Ukraine cast off an authoritarian regime and chose a future based on democracy, free trade, and rule of law. For these actions, Russia occupied and attempted to annex a sovereign country’s territory, and that since then, that’s left more than 5,000 people dead and displaced several hundred thousand times more. There are many times over the course of the last several months where Ukraine has even put in place ceasefires where they’ve abided by it, and the Russian side has not, the Russian-backed separatists have not. And they need to protect themselves. I think their preference certainly is to see both sides abiding by the ceasefire.

    QUESTION: I understand all the context that you just raised, but I guess – so you would say that the decision by the Ukrainian Government is justified to maintain the presence of their —

    MS. PSAKI: They’re defending their own sovereign country. They have not shown an unwillingness to abide by the ceasefires in the past.

    QUESTION: Jen, did you say it overthrew an authoritarian regime? The former regime was authoritarian and not elected?

    MS. PSAKI: Well, Said, I think you know the history here.

    QUESTION: I understand. I have – no, I mean —

    MS. PSAKI: Do we have any more on Ukraine? We’re moving on, thank you. Go ahead, Pam.

    QUESTION: I have one on —

    QUESTION: Secretary Kerry in his weekend comments talked about – raised the possibility of more sanctions against Russia. In light of these latest developments and the fact that it does not appear there has been a satisfactory pullback by pro-Russian forces, is there a stepped-up timeline on when these possible sanctions may come through?

    MS. PSAKI: Well, as you mentioned, the Secretary did talk about this a bit this weekend. As we’ve also talked about, Russia and the separatists are only complying in a few areas selectively – not in Debaltseve, not outside of Mariupol, not in other key strategic areas. This is clearly unacceptable. We have a range of options that remain on the table. If this failure continues there will be further consequences, but I’m not going to put a timeline or a date on that.

    QUESTION: Jen, you said the separatists are not in their own country. What did you mean?

    MS. PSAKI: Well, I think we’ve seen Russian-backed separatists backed by the country of Russia with equipment, with support, coming in and victimizing people around eastern Ukraine. That’s what I was referring to.

    Any more on Ukraine?

    QUESTION: The people —

    QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

    MS. PSAKI: Libya? Okay, whoa. We have a lot.

    QUESTION: Wait, wait. I —

    QUESTION: The people there are Ukrainians.

    QUESTION: Just – I just want to —

    MS. PSAKI: And there are Russians who are supporting them.

    QUESTION: It’s your position that the ceasefire, although it is – remains – it is still being violated, can still pave the way for a political resolution to this?

    MS. PSAKI: Our focus remains on pursuing a durable solution through diplomatic means. As you know, there’s going to be a meeting – a discussion – a dialogue, I should say, happening tomorrow between France, Germany, Ukraine, and Russia in Paris.

    QUESTION: But based on this agreement —

    MS. PSAKI: Yes.

    QUESTION: — and the original Minsk agreement?

    MS. PSAKI: Yes, mm-hmm.

    QUESTION: So it’s not a lost cause, (inaudible)?

    MS. PSAKI: Correct.

    QUESTION: All right.

    MS. PSAKI: Let’s go in the back.

    QUESTION: Libya.

    MS. PSAKI: Okay.

    (source: mp.net)

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  2. ThatJ says:

    February 24, 2015 at 12:10 am

    Russia Today, Ukraine Tomorrow

    Ukraine next month will launch a television channel called Ukrainian Tomorrow, partially funded by U.S. sources, in an effort to counterbalance the Kremlin-funded network RT, Ukraine’s information policy minister told reporters in Lviv.

    “They have only today, but we have tomorrow,” Minister Yury Stets said last week at a conference in an apparent play on RT’s former name, Russia Today, the Interfax-Ukraina news agency reported.

    The Ukrainian national bank’s television channel BTB will be transferred to the Information Policy Ministry within two weeks and then transformed into Ukrainian Tomorrow, the minister said.

    “Financial support will be provided by our partners from Europe and the United States. The channel should be high-quality and broadcast all over the world,” he said in comments carried by Kiev-based news agency UNIAN.

    The channel will also be funded by the Ukrainian government as well as local businesspeople, the minister said in comments carried by Interfax. It was not immediately clear in what language the channel would broadcast.

    The minister said that he had recently met with U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, who “confirmed” that U.S. sources would provide financing for the project, Interfax reported.

    The Information Policy Ministry was established in Ukraine in December in part to counteract Russian media’s portrayal of the Ukraine crisis.

    Viktoria Syumar, the deputy head of Ukraine’s National Security Defense Council, said last year that the government was considering making an English-language channel that would have “no lies and staged videos like RT.”

    Ukraine earlier this month moved to deny accreditation to more than 100 Russian media outlets as threats to national security.

    Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that Russia will not reciprocate with a similar ban.

    Russia will not “limit the right of people to receive information from various media sources,” Peskov said in comments carried by state news agency TASS.

    http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/ukraine-to-counterbalance-rt-with-new-channel-ukrainian-tomorrow/516375.html

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    • Pavlo Svolochenko says:

      February 24, 2015 at 12:54 am

      1. Do they think they’re losing because the western world isn’t hearing their view?

      2. What a big fuck you to Benya after he spent millions of his own (or somebody’s) money setting up Ukraine Today.

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