Motivating Factors Behind Russia’s Recent Independence Recognition – OpEd

By

The February 20 Al Jazeera Inside Story show, highlights the differences over the situation in Donbass.

On this show, Mychailo Wynnyckyj represents a loud nationalist anti-Russian voice having the support of Matthew Bryza. The two state a series of questionable claims about supposed Russian violations, while finding no fault on the Kiev regime side. (I’ve discussed Bryza’s prior anti-Russian comments he stated on Al Jazeera.)

Wynnyckyj misrepresents the order of what the Minsk Protocol calls for. Outnumbered, Andrei Kortunov diplomatically refutes Wynnyckyj on that point. Later on in the show, Wynnyckyj repeats his misinformation on that particular.

Wynnyckyj misrepresents Putin’s stance towards Ukraine. In point of fact, post-Soviet Russia exhibited content with Ukraine not being in NATO or CSTO. 

Al Jazeera Inside Story host Mohammed Jamjoom, says the Minsk Protocol isn’t legally binding. He doesn’t give a specific to support that contention. The Minsk Protocol has UN approval, with all of the leading Western powers paying lip service to it. 

Wynnyckyj brought up the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, recognizing Ukraine’s Soviet drawn boundary in exchange for it giving up its nuclear arsenal. According to a German source (as well as some others), the Budapest Memorandum isn’t legally binding.

Wynnyckyj  appears quite okay with how the 2014 internationally brokered power sharing agreement between the then democratically elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his main opposition was violated. Upon his overthrow, an undemocratic anti-Russian regime seized power, leading to Crimea reunifying with Russia and the rebel situation in Donbass.

I respectfully believe that the likes of Kortunov and Fyodor Lukyanov are better suited in a more academically formal setting. It has been awhile since Mark Sleboda (or someone with his combined knowledge, moxie and shared general perspective) has appeared on Al Jazeera. Dmitry Babich is another of the good options out there. On the February 21 France 24 telecast of The Debate, Babich intellectually pastes the anti-Russian blowhard Craig Copetas.

Last week, there was a UN Security Council meeting on the Minsk Protocol. Thereafter, it became clearer that the Kiev regime and its Western backers want to continue going thru the motions in the form of not getting it implemented. Note the non-sanctioning of the Kiev regime, for not having started implementation of the Minsk Protocol, seven years after its signing.

Hence, another option has now come into play with the Russian government’s independence recognition of the rebel Donbass area. The prior non-Russian independence precedents set with northern Cyprus and Kosovo make it quite hypocritical for neocons, neolibs and flat-out Russia haters to single out Moscow.

Back in 1999, Joe Biden and Antony Blinken had no problem with the Clinton Administration led NATO bombing campaign of Yugoslavia (then consisting of Serbia and Montenegro), because Belgrade refused to sign the Rambouillet Accords. That diktat favors paving the way for Kosovo to separate from Serbia. BTW, Serbia and the contested territory of Kosovo aren’t NATO members.   

In stark contrast to the Rambouillet Accords (favoring Kosovo independence, over it remaining an autonomous part of Serbia), the Minsk Protocol calls for Donbass remaining in Ukraine on an autonomous basis. This settlement plan constitutes the best hope for Ukraine maintaining much of its Soviet drawn boundary. The Kiev regime is influenced on the notion of a centralized Ukraine, where the Russian language is restricted and an anti-Russian historical narrative dominates.

As I’ve previously noted in my January 11 and February 9 WABC Talk Radio appearances, terms like “Russian aggression” and the 1990s era utilized “Serb aggression” are propagandistically and culturally biased in application. Western mass media doesn’t​ say “US aggression” and “Israeli aggression” when these two countries pursue the military option. This observation isn’t intended to poke at the US and Israel. Rather, to highlight the gross hypocrisy out there.

Contrary to Texas Congressman Colin Allred and numerous others, Kiev regime controlled Ukraine isn’t a democracy. Moreover, Russia has more in common with the US than North Korea.

At last week’s UN Security Council discussion on Donbass, Blinken noted his family’s WW II suffering at the hands of the Nazis. He omitted that the US and Ukraine were the only two UN delegations voting against a General Assembly resolution denouncing the glorification of Nazism.

Michael Averko is a New York based independent foreign policy analyst sand media critic.

Michael Averko

Michael Averko is a New York based independent foreign policy analyst and media critic. He has appeared as a guest commentator on the BBC, RT and WABC talk radio, in addition to having been a panelist at the World Russia Forum, Russia Forum New York and US-Russia.org Experts' Panel. Besides Averko's Eurasia Review column - Academia.edu, Counterpunch, Foreign Policy Journal, Global Research, History News Network, InoSMI.Ru, Johnson's Russia List, Journal of Turkish Weekly, Kyiv Post, Oriental Review, Penza News, Pravda.Ru, Pravoslavie.Ru, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia Insider, Sputnik News, Strategic Culture Foundation, The Duran, The Huffington Post, Valdai Discussion Club, Yonkers Tribune and WikiLeaks, are among the numerous venues where his articles have either appeared or been referenced. The American Institute in Ukraine and the Lord Byron Foundation for Balkan Studies, have referenced some of Averko's articles, along with academic white papers prepared for NATO Watch, Ohio State University, Problems of Post-Communism and the Royal College of Defence Studies. He has been referenced in the Council on Foreign Relations, Defense One and The New York Times. Averko is source referenced in Richard Sakwa's book "Frontline Ukraine". His Eurasia Review article on Pavlo Skoropadsky, provides the first full online English language transcript of Skoropadsky's edict calling for an "All-Russian Federation", inclusive of Russia and Ukraine. Among other issues, that article explains the relationships among the major combatants in the Russian Civil War. He can be reached via [email protected]

7 thoughts on “Motivating Factors Behind Russia’s Recent Independence Recognition – OpEd

  • February 24, 2022 at 10:22 am
    Permalink

    Well, well, well. The great Mike Averko. I hope you are happy now -an actual invasion of Ukraine. Funny how the majority of Ukrainians in the center and the west want nothing to do with decrepit Russia yet Putin attacks anyway. You and the other pro-Russian twats should be utterly ashamed if yourselves.

    Reply
    • February 24, 2022 at 6:06 pm
      Permalink

      Events are unfolding on the territory of Ukraine. The we told you so mindset takes two forms. One highlights the Biden administration’s claim of an impending Russian attack on Ukraine. The same Biden Administration which incorrectly assessed the situation in Afghanistan.

      Here’s another we told you so consideration. The Donbass situation would greatly influence Russian manner. In 2008, Russia went into Georgia to take out Georgian military assets following the Georgian government strike into South Ossetia. Thereafter, the Russian military moved back, as Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

      It remains to be seen how events will play out in Ukraine.

      I understand why some have become frustrated into feeling a need to refrain from further commentary. More than ever is the need to have competent independent overview, which does what Western mass media has often fallen short of doing.

      Reply
      • February 27, 2022 at 4:52 pm
        Permalink

        Lol Russia getting SPANKED in Ukraine. It is beyond bad comedy. Hammered in Kharkhiv, surrendering in droves. Cant get near Kiev. The Russian air force, famed for levelling villages in Syria and Chechnya, cant hit a barn door in Ukraine. Banned from European airspace, banned from SWIFT, assets frozen. Now unconditional talks – an UTTER disaster for the nuclear bear with an economy smaller than the Netherlands. Priceless!!

        Reply
        • February 28, 2022 at 7:38 am
          Permalink

          Really!?

          Russia noted that it’s going out of its way to not damage Ukrainian civilian infrastructure as much as possible.

          Syria and Chechnya involved different situations. Seeing how you brought up Chechnya, it has been reported that a Chechen contingent has been sent to Ukraine to support the Russian side. It’s still early in this special military operation to know what the eventual outcome will be.

          More reasoned Western elites acknowledge that the sanctions aren’t foolproof with Russia being pretty well prepared for them. Moreover, these sanctions will have a boomerang effect.

          Your economic point is quite shortsighted given numerous other stats showing Russia to be a major power.

          Reply
  • February 28, 2022 at 7:41 pm
    Permalink

    You don’t know what you’re talking about. NATO in 1990s Yugoslavia, along with Soviet led Warsaw Pact actions.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Go to hell Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *