Washington’s Iron Curtain in Ukraine
Tightening the U.S. Grip on Western Europe
Washingtons Iron Curtain in Ukraine
by DIANA JOHNSTONE
NATO leaders are currently acting out a deliberate charade in Europe, designed to reconstruct an Iron Curtain between Russia and the West.
With astonishing unanimity, NATO leaders feign surprise at events they planned months in advance. Events that they deliberately triggered are being misrepresented as sudden, astonishing, unjustified Russian aggression. The United States and the European Union undertook an aggressive provocation in Ukraine that they knew would force Russia to react defensively, one way or another.
They could not be sure exactly how Russian president Vladimir Putin would react when he saw that the United States was manipulating political conflict in Ukraine to install a pro-Western government intent on joining NATO. This was not a mere matter of a sphere of influence in Russias near abroad, but a matter of life and death to the Russian Navy, as well as a grave national security threat on Russias border.
A trap was thereby set for Putin. He was damned if he did, and damned if he didnt. He could underreact, and betray Russias basic national interests, allowing NATO to advance its hostile forces to an ideal attack position.
Or he could overreact, by sending Russian forces to invade Ukraine. The West was ready for this, prepared to scream that Putin was the new Hitler, poised to overrun poor, helpless Europe, which could only be saved (again) by the generous Americans.
Continued:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/06/06/washingtons-iron-curtain-in-ukraine/