The pre-positioning of the BBC correspondent on HMS Defender shatters the pretence that the BBC is something different to a state propaganda broadcaster. It also makes plain that this propaganda exercise to provoke the Russian military was calculated and deliberate. Indeed that was confirmed by that BBC correspondent’s TV news report last night when he broadcast that the Defender’s route “had been approved at the very highest levels of the British government.”
The Prime Minister does not normally look at the precise positions of British ships. This was a deliberate act of dangerous belligerence.
The presence of a BBC correspondent is more than a political point. In fact it has important legal consequences. One thing that is plain is that the Defender cannot possible claim it was engaged in “innocent passage” through territorial waters, between Odessa and Georgia. Let me for now leave aside the fact that there is absolutely no necessity to pass within 12 miles of Cape Fiolent on such passage, and the designated sea lane (originally designated by Ukraine) stays just out of the territorial sea. Look at the definition of innocent passage in Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea:
Very plainly this was not innocent passage. It was certainly 2 (d) an act of propaganda, and equally certainly 2 (c), an exercise in collecting information on military defences. I would argue it is also 2 (a), a threat of force.
So far as I can establish, the British are not claiming they were engaged in innocent passage, which is plainly nonsense, but that they were entering territorial waters off Crimea at the invitation of the government of Ukraine, and that they regard Crimea as the territory of Ukraine and Crimean territorial waters as Ukrainian territorial waters.
I want to impress on you how mad this is. The whole point of “territorial sea” is that, legally, it is an integral part of the state and that the state’s full domestic law applies within the territorial sea. That is not the case with the much larger 200 mile exclusive economic zone or sometimes even larger continental shelf, where the coastal state’s legal jurisdiction only applies to specific marine or mineral resources rights.
Let me put it this way. If somebody is murdered on a ship within twelve nautical miles of the coast, the coastal state has jurisdiction and its law applies. If somebody is murdered on a ship more than twelve miles off the coast, the jurisdiction and law of the flag state of the ship applies, not the law of any coastal state in whose exclusive economic zone the ship is.
In international law, the twelve mile territorial sea is as much part of the state as its land. So to sail a warship into Crimean territorial seas is exactly the same act as to land a regiment of paratroops in the Crimea and declare you are doing so at the invitation of the Government of Ukraine.
There is no dispute that Russia is in de facto control of the Crimea, irrespective of British support for the government of Ukraine’s claim to the region. It is also true that Russian annexation of the Crimea was not carried out in an accordance with international law. However, it is not, in practice, likely to be reversed and the situation needs to be resolved by treaty or by the International Court of Justice. In the interim, the UK government legal position can only be that Russia is an “occupying power”. It is impossible that the UK government legal position is that Ukraine is in “effective control” of the territory.
We need to see the legal advice provided by FCO legal advisers. It is simply not the practice in international law to ignore the existence of an occupying power which is a recognised state, and act with armed forces on the authority of a government not in effective control. The difference in British attitude towards Russia as an occupying power and towards Israel is tellingly different.
The legality of the British action is, at very best, moot. In realpolitik, it is an act of brinkmanship with a nuclear power and further effort to ramp up the new Cold War with Russia, to the benefit of the military, security services and armaments companies and the disbenefit of those who need more socially useful government spending. It is further an act of jingoist populism for the neo-liberal elite to distract the masses, as the billionaires’ incredible wealth continues to boom.
NATO will shortly commence a naval exercise in the Black Sea. As not all the member states of NATO are quite as unhinged as Johnson, it is to be hoped it will refrain from this kind of extra layer of provocation. There is a large part of me that says they cannot possibly be mad enough to attempt to intervene in Ukraine with military force, or at least its threat. But then I look at Johnson and Biden, and worry. This can all go horribly wrong.
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I think It is the duty of a good citizen to think the best of the UK government’s motives in military situations. Let us suppose e.g. that the UK was trying to find out to see if the Russians are developing WMD in occupied Crimea, especially in breach of any international treaty. This would be consistent with the UK’s role as an ally of the US/NATO, as well as a member of the UN security council.
So I say good luck to the UK with whatever her ship was up to!
All UN countries except 2 voted against continued Cold War sanctions against tiny Cuba.
Care to guess which two and WHY one of them?
MJ reads all CM’s posts and all the comments beneath and remains an ardent neocon and neoliberal. I doubt one more comment is going to turn him/her around.
Neoliberal? For me it looks like he is a newly arrived migrant, so he considers it very important to be a good citizen. He may fear being fired if he does not publicly express support for the government’s actions. This is how I see it.
Why would a migrant think their job depends on posting support for the government on CM’s blog? I don’t follow your logic at all.
I assumed MJ was just exercising a dry wit.
Anthony – umm – depends on what M.J.’s job is. Perhaps he is paid by MI5 to post such gibberish on sites such as Craig Murray’s blog.
M.J.
In this time-warp of empire2 Tory government , is it usual to deploy 18th century technology when spy satellite 21st century technology is available?
Or is British imperialism past its sell by date whatever the technology?
In this time-warp of empire2 Tory government , is it usual to deploy 18th century technology when spy satellite 21st century technology is available?
Or is British imperialism past its sell by date whatever the technology? …. Giyane June 28, 2021 at 13:23
They certainly risk being deemed totally unsuitable in every department and thus extraordinarily rendered unavailed of certain future extremely disruptive and/or creative technologies/methodologies currently being ACTively tested and made quietly available to them for Live Applications/Media Presentations Revealing and Trailing Trial Deployments, Giyane, and especially so whenever the Erotic and Exotic East are so enamoured of the benefits and advantages both offered and delivered by prime exercise in certain of the fields and be a very attractive export market place ….. and novel alternate business space …… Live Operational Virtual Environment.
I’m sure the ship wasn’t being used as a substitute for the latest American satellites. Nor do I seriously think that the UK was trying to conquer Russian-held territory. The truth is that I don’t know what they were doing, but I’m minded to think that they had better and more serious reasons than showing off.
While the CIA and FBI suits fly around the world in executive jets, recruiting criminals, pedophiles and sociopaths like the Icelander, they would do well reading the Intelligence that Craig and many of his authoritive contributers spell out. Signs such as No Through Road/Passage Ahead DANGER. Dragging millions of THEIR OWN populations into poverty.
“ truth is that I don’t know what they were doing”
Ah come on. Look at the fixed blurb at the bottom of each article here.
You obvious need some jigsaw constructing help.
So – you see that integrity initiative organisation?
Know what it’s prime purpose is? Really need some official documentation to prove it?
There that wasn’t so hard to put together was it?
According to wiki, ihe Integrity Initiative “is a project of the Institute for Statecraft with a stated mission of defending democracy from disinformation, in particular from Russia as well as China and extremist groups such as the Islamic State”. Sounds excellent! But I don’t think the ship was firing pro-democracy material into the Crimea the way some activists might do with balloons into North Korea. I suspect they were doing something that needed a battleship. But I’ve no idea what it was. The UK must have had a good reason, that’s what I’m saying.
MJ.
As you fully know, Integrity Initiative/Institute for Statecraft are instruments of the security services – MI6/CIA, etc.
Western democracy is founded on the continuing exploitation and subjugation of the 99% to support the 1%.
‘Activists’ releasing balloons into North Korea are nothing to do with democracy but are a CIA funded activity to undermine the North.
The RN presence in the Black Sea is all about the UK carrying out its designated role as a proxy for the USA – the pound shop rent-a-thugs !
Their actions are indefensible.
You won’t get the truth about the Integrity Initiative out of Wiki: they wrote the article. It’s a propaganda organisation.
“The UK must have had a good reason, that’s what I’m saying.”
Why are you saying that?
@Johny Conspiranoid
One reason is that it costs money to do such operations, and real military men. These are not toys. Another is that the British are good guys in international conflicts more often than societies without a democratic history.
I think this stunt is for domestic consumption, to rally support for whatever the next move on Russia is going to be. When all the moves come to naught then it will be time to blame the messenger.
Russia has done more to promote democracy around the world than the UK; its intervention in support of the Syrian government has allowed free elections to take place there despite the efforts of UK supported terrorists.
Good for you, M.J.. I’m minded to think of it as a dog peeing on a lamp post to mark out its territory.
I think owners of dogs who foul public places deserve to be fined. However the local authorities should also provide designated canine public convenience spots. (Maybe some do?)
Lol, you would have been an exemplary citizen in Ceausescu’s Romania. The dear leader and dear government say so, our duty is to support them uncritically.
Undemocratic countries (like Ceaucescu’s Romania) don’t deserve loyalty from their citizens. The rulers deserve that their citizens turn on them (like Ceaucescu) or work for democratic countries against them (like Oleg Gordievsky).
uk is hardly a beacon of democracy.
I’m sure Oleg Gordievsky would disagree.
I’m just wondering if you are some kind of automatic writing program or a Benny Hill clone having a bit of fun?
“if the Russians are developing WMD in occupied Crimea, especially in breach of any international treaty.”
Which international treaty would that be?
This is a propaganda situation. Can one think a thing is true because it is one’s duty to think so? What if the situation involves very bad judgement on the part of the government?
As to the propaganda value of this Conservative Party adventurism in Crimea, which I think was designed to remind english jingoist voters of the glory of the English Empire, by reminding them of the victory in Crimea against the Russian Empire, there is a non-trivial detail that many “blimey foreigners” may miss a “big detail”:
As the time of the 19th century war there was a popular slogan in England: “we have the ships, we have the men, and by jingo we will take Crimea”. Together with the poem “The charge of the light brigade” the Crimea is very present in the remembrance of the glory of the English Empire for every english schoolchild. “England Rules The Waves!” 🙂
I would suspect that the crimean war and the opium wars are quite central in the view of history of many russians and chinese people too, but with rather different impressions.
«here was a popular slogan in England: “we have the ships, we have the men, and by jingo we will take Crimea”.»
That was derived from the full song “The dogs of war”:
https://victorianweb.org/mt/musichall/macdermott1.html
The Dogs of War are loose and the rugged Russian Bear,
Full bent on blood and robbery, has crawl’d out of his lair;
It seems a thrashing now and then, will never help to tame
That brute, and so he’s out upon the “same old game.”
The Lion did his best to find him some excuse
To crawl back to his den again, all efforts were no use;
He hunger’d for his victim, he’s pleased when blood is shed,
But let us hope his crimes may all recoil on his own head.
CHORUS:
We don’t want to fight but by jingo if we do,
We’ve got the ships, we’ve got the men, and got the money too!
We’ve fought the Bear before and while we’re Britons true
The Russians shall not have Constantinople.
etc. etc. etc. History casts long shadows…
I thought that Mr. Beale of BBC might not want to inform the wide British audience about whose rights to Crimea the Defender had so bravely undertaken to defend. So I decided to translate for you some of the video of Anatoly Shariy, Ukrainian politician and blogger.
Not enough time for a detailed translation, I’ll make it close to the text.
Congratulation on the ***titution Day
Celebrating Constitution Day is the same as celebrating the acquisition of a kilogram of gold by every citizen of Ukraine.
– But, I don’t have a kilogram of gold.
– So what the f*ck are you celebrating then?
Let’s start with the Article 1 of the Constitution of Ukraine. It states that Ukraine is a sovereign independent state.
However, the most influential person in Ukraine was recognized the US ambassador.
Article 4 – acquisition of citizenship is determined by law.
However, both Zelensky and Poroshenko deprive people of citizenship by their own decision.
Article 5 – the right to change the Constitution belongs exclusively to the people and cannot be usurped by the state.
But in 2010, the Constitutional Court overturned the 2004 constitutional reform. And in 2014, the Rada returned the 2004 constitution and returned to a parliamentary presidential republic. The opinion of the people was not asked. *soon after the Crimea returned to Russia *
… Power is divided into legislative, judicial and executive branches.
The National Security and Defense Council appropriates judicial powers. The Cabinet of Ministers appoints Vitrenko as Acting Energy Minister after his candidacy was rejected twice in the Rada.
Article 7 guarantees local self-government.
Even the G7 ambassadors are calling for elections in 18 districts in the Donbas. But the Central Election Committee, referring to the civil-military administration, says that it is impossible to hold elections there. This decision was found to be illegal on appeal. There was no obstacle to the presidential and parliamentary elections. Yes, it was just clear that Servants *Zelensky’s party* would not win there. The elections were simply banned there. People were not given the opportunity to choose their own power, but are forced to have what they are given.
Article 8 talks about the rule of law, but this is some kind of joke.
What about the closure of channels on terrorism charges, although the guilt has not been proven? What about the persecution of Shariy and the Shariy party?
Article 10 states that the Constitution guarantees the development, use and protection of Russian and other languages of national minorities.
I do not consider Russian as a minority language. I am Ukrainian, I speak Russian since childhood. Am I a minority? The minority has driven the majority under the bench. A pregnant Kharkiv woman dared to say that it was uncomfortable for her to write a student’s work in Ukrainian. She was hunted down by a roguls *diminutive for ultra-nationalistic Ukrainians* and was hospitalized.
Zelenskiy blocked the work of the Constitutional Court to prevent it from repealing the discriminatory language law.
Fixation on the linguistic theme led to a conflict with the Hungarians, not to mention the Russian-speaking.
Article 13 protects the rights of all subjects of property and business law.
Ukraine decided to return the Motor Sich plant to state ownership after a conflict arose between the United States and China over this plant.
Then they started making excuses. The NSDC took over the redistribution of assets.
The French are ready to buy banks, the state-owned PrivatBank, which was previously taken away from Kolomoisky.
Article 14 particularized the land, which is recognized as a special national wealth.
Zelensky launched the land market, although 80% of the Ukraine’s population stand against the sale of land to foreigners.
—
there’s more in the video, I reffer you to the source. Perhaps you’ll be able to turn on English subtitles?
https://youtu.be/spLY8h4p4u0
So how do the Ukraine Nazi party
see the “End Game” ?
Anatoliy Shariy mentions later in the video, there are punishments in the Ukraine, for symbols.
You can get, and real people there actually get, up to 5 years in prison for Communists symbols. Nazi salute is subject to fine 18-52 ukrainian grivnas.
I don’t know how they see the Endschpiel, but I guess Europe would expect Russia to do something about it. Unlikely any state is themselves willing go into the conflict with the US.
Regime change? I didn’t think that was approved of around here and I’m sure Europe would prefer Russia to mind its own business.
Display of Nazis symbols punishable by up to three years in Germany, fine of 100,000 roubles (c.£1,000) in Russia.
So what will The Ukraine do if The Donbas decides, like The Crimea, to join with Mother Russia?
They will do what they always do – go to the US for assistance.
Victoria Nuland will let them eat cake.
Small cup cakes.
If anyone thinks that Johnson did the prodding of Russia of his own volition and without US ( sorry NATO) permission they are seriously mistaken,
The UK doesn’t go to the toilet without US agreement.
The upcoming NATO exercise would have been scuttled ( pardon the metaphor) if the Russians had have sunk the ship and the BBC would have been short of one more credulous reporter.
US – go and kick that Tiger up the backside and see what happens.
UK – OK.
Works every time and the UK needs a trade deal with the US at any price.
p.s. Cuddly Joe bombed parts of Syria and Iraq last night supposedly to combat terrorists.
No mentions from the BBC News as far as I know.
Must have missed it on The World Service which no-one is ever awake for.
“They will do what they always do – go to the US for assistance.”
And the US will do what it always does and leave them in the lurch.
Donbass has already expressed a desire to emancipate from Ukraine and become part of the Russian Federation, which I personally don’t find strange, this is a historically Russian region, while the policy of modern Ukraine is clearly anti-Russian.
The motives of the Donbass population are understandable, but they do not have the status, like the Crimea, to hold referendums without the permission of Kiev. There is a protracted sluggish war, with regular shelling and the rapid impoverishment of the population.
All that Russia could do was to provide refugees from Ukraine with asylum and citizenship on our territory.
All the US and Europe could do was to supply military aid to Kiev.
The diplomatic decision stumbles upon Kiev’s resistance to the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and the US’s unwillingness to force Kiev to comply with the Minsk agreements, and Europe’s completely amoebic reaction to everything that happens.
Militant appeals, including the use of nuclear weapons, can be heard from Kiev. I think that a couple of exploding nuclear warheads would make Europe realize that we will all suffer in one boat, while the United States will easily survive at home far overseas.
I forgot to say a huge Thank You to Ms. Theresa May for using ‘russian bot’ once.
Today’s evening I enjoy commenting on this blog, while frying sliced onions with mushrooms and minced pork – it makes one tasty stuffing for bliny 🙂
I wish more russian housewives felt challenged by Ms. May’s statement, and joined discussions on political affairs, to give an honest perspective of ordinary russian people.
Saker Analyses:
Will the Russians sink a British ship the next time around?, June 28, 2021
https://thesaker.is/will-the-russians-sink-a-british-ship-the-next-time-around/
As a Russian closely following military issues, I don’t believe we’ll sink a foreign warship unless it opens fire on us or poses an immediate military threat. Something along the lines of 1988 USS Yorktown or 2018 Kerch strait incidents is more likely if such incursions continue.
No. Dario, is my observation.
They may put a few visible holes in it though, with pea shooters. Just to show they could easily sink it. Wonder how many frontline lickspittles will be jumping at getting on the next suicidal booze cruise?
Seems like my name on this blog, taken from a 19th century Punch cartoon, is again relevant if not prescient
Why attach any significance to the gibbering of that individual?
It’s not as if he even gets his facts right.
A question, as it is known that the Ukraine have cut electricity and water and gas supplies to Crimea.
How does Crimea now get its water & Electricity &gas, does it get transported over the new bridge?
Blowing up the power line supports was the idea of the Crimean Tatars, so dear to the heart of our kind host.
Dzhemilev, head of the Mejlis, and Islyamov, former deputy prime minister, in cooperation with the SBU of Ukraine and with funding from Latvia. There, Turkey also noted itself by providing NATO uniforms for saboteur battalions.
I believe that Russia should sue and demand reparations, since this is a humanitarian crime.
Apparently,
Orman Kosh
is the highest mountain of Crimea, a forest reserve, with a statue of Lenin, a reservoir has been constructed in the valley.
However, I would suspect that after the canal from Ukraine has been blocked, that drinking water must also be shipped or moved in pipes from mainland Russia into Crimea.
https://ne-np.facebook.com/CrimeanTatarsEn/videos/how-did-orman-kosh-become-roman-kosh/734608557418435/
It would seem Orman Kosh became Roman Kosh in favour of the Romanovs, the road up the peak, know as Romanov Way.
I think there is a clue here that Crimea has been Russian for quite a while?
For some months, electricity was supplied from local power station and small generators, with strict rationing. With under-water cable and pipeline, plus a new power station, electricity problem, and natural gas problem is solved.
Water is more complicated, but (1) Crimea is not a desert, there is always enough water to drink. (2) There were investments in water reservoirs, channels, pipelines and underground sources. (3) During droughts, the water is rationed, agriculture and some industrial uses can be curtailed. (4) June had highest precipitation since quite a long time, water reservoirs were reported to have sufficient amount for a year, at least for municipal use.
“The documents adopted at the Cornwall and Brussels summits cemented the rules-based world order concept as a counterweight to the universal principles of international law with the UN Charter as its primary source.”
Mr Lavrov 28.6.21
The “rules-based world order” in operation. Heh heh heh.
The Queen successfully lobbied the government to change a draft law in order to conceal her “embarrassing” private wealth from the public, according to documents discovered by the Guardian.
…
Following the Queen’s intervention, the government inserted a clause into the law granting itself the power to exempt companies used by “heads of state” from new transparency measures.
(lots more)
https://archive.fo/eGLWc#selection-1349.0-1349.184
Here is Hansard:
The Secretary of State has granted one exemption under Section 27(9) of the Companies Act 1976 in favour of Bank of England Nominees Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank of England. Bank of England Nominees Ltd. have given a number of undertakings about the use to be made of the exemption. They will hold securities as nominee only on behalf of Heads of State and their immediate family, Governments, official bodies controlled or closely related to Governments, and international organisations formed by Governments or official bodies.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1977-04-21/debates/ (Shortened)
A true honeypot. Exemption from the rules.
Quite useful for money laundering and other crimes.
Because she could. In 1977.
Writing for myself now, I “used to” work for Anglia Television. I put the quotes because, speaking legally, I am still contracted.
Anglia was the parent of Survival, the natural history pioneer.
The driving force behind Survival was Aubrey Buxton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey_Buxton,_Baron_Buxton_of_Alsa
A story related to me was that every year Buxton, the Duke of Edinburgh and others would carve through the North Norfolk nature reserve waters blasting everything in sight.
Because they could.
And only they.
There is nobody to control these people, and they can’t help themselves.
The Bank of England got its exemption in 1977.
The Bank was released from public control in 1997
In between was BCCI, which I’ll write about tomorrow.
Here’s someone else trying to sell the “rules-based world order” to civic Scotland.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2021/06/28/661096/Queen-Visits-Scotland-Amid-Deepening-Political-Dispute-
(It’s worth having a look just for the dreadful publicity photo. Talk about a rushed last-minute job!)
The Queen’s official visit is set to last four days, during which she is expected to perform in-person engagements to promote the monarchy’s position in Scotland.
The Duke of Cambridge will be equally busy as he plans to visit a BAE Systems shipyard to view the Royal Navy’s HMS Glasgow in construction, in addition to taking part in a steel-cutting ceremony for HMS Belfast.
Four whole days! Holy smoking gun Batman!
“It’s routine. It’s routine.
Nothing to see here”
OK you dumb Scots. Here’s the deal.
I’m sovereign.
I write the laws.
I’m exempted from the laws.
Got that?
Apologies. Wrong link to archived Guardian article. Should be
https://archive.fo/eGLWc#selection-2265.0-2265.32
As we are now in the worse pandemic since the first world war, it may be of interest to learn that the Black Death came early to Crimea.
In 1346 the Golden Horde army besieging Genoese Kaffa (present-day Feodosiya) catapulted the bodies of Mongol warriors who had died of plague over the walls of the city. Historians have speculated that Genoese refugees from this engagement may have brought
the Black Death to Western Europe.
So probably there were few Muslims in Crimea till after The Golden Horde invaded, before that time, most Christians.
Again the dark ghosts of the past?
Let me turn you towards a brighter present.
We have wonderful children. One of them is the Ukrainian video blogger EeOneGuy, whom I know quite well for my son’s interests. The other is Yuri Dud, whose channel I am practically not familiar with.
I watched their meeting today, they discussed in a completely friendly way their activities on YouTube, did a manicure challenge in support of tolerance and, in general, spoke in simple understandable language about what worries modern young people. They said they tried to meet for about a year and could not find a place, bacause one of them is Russian and the other is Ukrainian. Finally they met in Rio-de-Janeiro.
Later, Anatoly Shariy, a representative of my generation, rather cynically criticized IvanGuy’s position on Russian-Ukrainian relations. And all this reminded me again of the terrible dead hand from the past, which is trying to drag the youth into its dark grave.
This feeling in its lighter form can be described as follows:
I grew up in a small town, in a private house with a garden. I am well aware of the fact that the older generation considers it necessary to work on the land with their own hands. They insist on this and hope that one day I will understand the importance of self-planting, weeding and harvesting these endless fields of potatoes.
My opinion is that their method of farming is outdated,
that buying vegetables from the market has more economical sense,
that my resources and time spent in the workshop are more in line with my own desires.
It looks like my parents agree only formally, but deep inside they believe that I should devote more time to “the cause of fathers and grandfathers.”
History shows that nations can blindly stumble into the war they do not want. The Black Sea is one flash-point where WWIII could be triggered. It is dangerous to view the present crisis like the Cold War – convinced it will end the same. Today the adversaries are too close with no buffer zone.
https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
But Russia did NOT annex Crimea. The people of Crimea voted to end their forced union with Ukraine, as is their right, and applied for entry into the Russian Federation.
AFTER the Russians had taken over by military force and the option “Independence” did not appear on the ballot paper.
I think the Russian troops were put in Crimea to deter the Ukraine nazis.
More precisely, to deter Ukrainian troops. The Nazis were dealt with earlier when they were blocked by citizens in the train they arrived it, and had to return.
Kempe, this is not the first time you have said that “independence” was not on the ballot. But isn’t it obvious to you that Crimea, in its 2014 circumstances, aimed precisely at joining Russia for protection?
I think that people there had no illusions about what fate would await them if they became a lonely independent state.
There would be no one to replenish the cut off electricity and fresh water.
There would be no Russian warships to drive the British destroyers off the coast.
Subsequent events confirm that the fears of the Crimeans were not groundless.
Well as they were never offered the option we’ll never know.
They would have the option to buy fuel and water from who ever offered the best deal and hopefully would not be paranoid about British warships using internationally recognised shipping lanes.
if the British destroyers did not bring their weapons on alert before crossing the sea border, as the BBS journalist kindly recorded for us, then I think no one would be paranoid and would not argue that that had been a peaceful passage.
The Kosovo Liberation Army declared Kosovo’s independence after NATO had illegally bombed Yugoslavia for 78 days and occupied the province. They didn’t even bother with an alibi referendum. You NATO apologists have no legs to stand on. Kosovo, Crimea, Scotland, Catalonia, ultimately the same thing. Let’s move on.
Sometimes you have to choose between trying to do things perfecly with nearly 100% chance of failure, and making compromises. Polls indicated overwhelming support for leaving Ukraine. How likely was the new Kiev government to allow a referendum, and to a better democratic standard than this one?
The frigate Evertsen was on course to violate the Russian border in the Black Sea, but was prevented from doing so by Russian jets.
This time the Dutch.
Strange. Our news does not say she was going to violate the border. Report is that Evertsen changed the course to head to the Kerch Straight. Someone may wonder why, it’s a shallow strait with intense traffic. It always was and still is regulated traffic straight, a passage needs assistance from coast services. I may only guess there was no warning from Evertsen on course change.
https://www.rt.com/russia/527976-nato-defender-world-war/
Even if Russia had sunk British warship, it wouldn’t have started WW3 because US & UK know they can’t win such a conflict – Putin
Blimey, he seems a bit too sure of that?
A couple of things that totally amazed me.
Putin said that an US aircraft 63/9792 took off from the NATO base in Greece to accompany the Defender’s provocation. This is a strange behavior after the agreements at the summit with Joe Biden and the restoration of the embassies in Russia and the United States.
Putin said that the West does not respect the choice of the Crimeans. It’s absolutely amazing that Putin says that Russia doesn’t care about it.
Have you ever heard Putin saying smth like this?
Chinese users show they have a voice! They have humor!
On the situation with the Dutch ship:
“You float freely on the open sea, what’s wrong with me flying freely in the open sky too?”
And the other was generally quite sarcastic: he advised to show the Dutch a video of the bombing of a British ship.
“As the saying goes, show one dog how you beat another dog, and then it will behave much more modestly.”
https://inosmi.ru/social/20210630/250014394.html
Previously China expressed itself vaguely and indistinctly, I’m delighted to hear their voice today!
Could you ever imagine chinese people say smth like this?
Last night before the Sweden / Ukraine game the BBC had a militaristic man give a direct to screen propaganda lie to the millions of viewers, on the fake icon on the Ukrainian shirts – the outline of ‘their cuntory’ with Crimea on it.
This is the usual western PR designed abhorrence of a sporting uniform – should have never been allowed by UEFA and should be condemned by FIFA.
How would it be if the England side printed a map of the world in red bits showing the Empire upon which the sun, ahem, didn’t set?
Or any other symbols of Exceptionalism – Swastica? Southern confederacy ? Rhodesia instead of Zimbabwe?
The direct assault on the British viewer to back the escalation in making Ukraine a cause for our sailors and soldiers to risk in and its immediate and unjustified inclusion into a nato that puts threats and missiles directly on a border with Russia was CRASS.
If anything, Saturdays confrontation with Ukraine, will go in the opposite direction – and if the Crimea shirt wearers actually do to England what they did to Sweden.
Come on, u Ukes ! ?
Aha, here is the perfect illustration of what I’m talking about
https://pikabu.ru/story/k_sozhaleniyu_bez_dolbbov_ne_oboshlos_8312890
An Ukrainian and a Russian at a football match. Someone is angry to see their friendly gesture, someone thinks they should hate each other!
How would London react if Russia held a naval exercise in the North Sea & Channel? International waters right?
Desperate stuff this NATO exercise in the Black Sea & in front of Sevastopol: shows the Anglo hawks are at their wits end. North Atlantic Treaty Organization, not Nuclear Anglo Traitor Organization.
Indeed, I have been thinking how the U.K. M.o.D. would act if a couple of Russian Navy boats sailed past The Needles, into The Solent, passing quite close to Portsmouth Naval Docks, home of our aircraft carriers?
I suggest a russian warship sailing to the Falklands coastline, with Margaret Simonyan video-recording our brave sailors loading the guns and saying “we are in the international seaway”. And a chinese aircraft accompanying the russian warship!
All that to support Argentina’s claims on the Islas Malvinas, because we don’t recognise the referendum result – it could not be legitimate with British military base there, and there was no question of independence in the ballot papers 🙂
@Kempe, what do you think about this?
I think our plan is to sail a destroyer and a couple of frigates between Taiwan and mainland China.
Russian ships have passed through the English Channel without let or hindrance.
As far as the Falklands are concerned I don’t believe there are any internationally recognised shipping lanes that pass through or near Falkland waters. If there were Russian, or indeed the ships of any nation would have a right to use them.
The last Falklands referendum in 2013 had the provision to be in two parts. The first asked the residents if they wanted to continue being a British overseas territory, had they voted ‘No’ a second referendum would’ve proposed independence amongst other options. As it was the islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain an overseas territory so the second part of the referendum was superfluous. As an overseas territory the Falklands are self-governing with the UK taking responsibility for defence and foreign affairs.
Independent observers were allowed to monitor the Falklands referendum whereas the only observers allowed into Crimea were hand picked by Russia from far-right groups in eastern europe.
Interestingly the then president of Argentina condemned both votes.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-falklands-idUSBREA2I1GG20140319
Russia did invite OSCE observers to Crimea. They refused on the grounds of invitation not being from Ukraine.
That referendum in the Falklands – 1,517 out of 1,672 islanders eligible to vote participated.
Now think of Mount Pleasant Air Force Base and Mayor Harbor Naval Base with about 2,000 personnel.
Don’t you find it possible, that islanders were forced to vote ‘remain’? There were more british military than islanderes themselves. And, there was no independence option in the ballot papers.
Quite similar, just after the Argentine/Catholic Invasion of the Falkland Islands,
it is barely a surprize that the Falklanders wanted the protection of the Royal Navy
and to remain British.
It is also no surprize that the people of The Crimea wished to leave Nazi Ukraine and return under the protection of Mother Russia.
No 1, you want to feel safe in your home land and not under threat of rape, murder or torture.
So much railings. But the big blocs variously colluding, despite their disparate interests, might well be in keeping with the realist vantage policy, where the best plays will always be checked (or at least attempts will be made). Despots don’t stay up top for long and that’s how you suss the warmongering pose in the first place.
There are two options: ‘International Law’ and ‘A US Rules Bases Based Order’. The former hoping to keep the peace and the latter imposing wars and military spending. Till now, poor countries had to buckle under, but since the advent of cheap drones the Imperial Rulers of the World and their strategic infrastructures cannot be protected. Iron Dome failed. It was a catastrophic mistake to set a precedent and attack nuclear plants and assassinate.
Iron Dome failed because Palestinians launched lots of blank dud rockets, causing very expensive Iron Dome missiles to be wasted. I think the Israelies were actually about to run out of missiles, prompting a sessation.
HMS Defender – UK & Ukraine sign memorandum on maritime partnership projects aboard ship:
https://www.globalresearch.ca/ukraine-uk-build-warships-establish-naval-bases-together/5748438
Will Turkey be NATO proxy for Russia conflict, as in Syria & elsewhere?
https://www.globalresearch.ca/turkey-upgrade-ukraine-navy-prepare-nato/5748325
Are Turkey & Pakistan set to be NATO proxies to ‘police’ Afghanistan & the Islamic world?
https://www.globalresearch.ca/turkey-pakistan-plot-control-afghanistan/5748162
I do not think anybody trusts Erdogan, especially not the people of Turkey
and especially not the Kurds for whom he is the devil.