US-Led NATOs War on HumanityStephen Lendman It includes 28 member nations, 22 Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) ones, seven Mediterranean Dialogue countries, and four Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) states. They comprise nearly one-third of world nations. NATO plans exponential expansion. It wants new members and partners. It wants them on all continents. It wants them virtually everywhere. It wants a global military established. It wants unchallenged control. It wants all outliers eliminated. It wants pro-Western vassal states replacing them. Its strategy prioritizes war on humanity. Its ravaging and destroying one country after another. Ukraine is in the eye of the storm. On Friday, Putin said it may join NATO. Washington may take full advantage. It may deploy nuclear-armed missiles on Russias borders. It may target its heartland. Ukraines coup occurred, said Putin. (T)hey (wont) talk to us. They obey orders from Washington. Ukraine may become a member of NATO tomorrow, said Putin. Under US control. There was a coup detat backed by American and European partners, he explained. Then there was chaos, and now we are witnessing a full-scale civil war. Washington imposed sanctions on Russia to gain economic advantage, Putin said. Theyre counterproductive. They wont work. On the one hand, Chinese investors will replace EU companies if theyre squeezed out. So will other global businesses. On the other, Russian economist/Putin advisor Andrey Belousov said Moscow prepared retaliatory measures in response. At different levels, he explained. It depends on US policy going forward. Moscow will respond in kind. In its own way. Its own timing. (W)e know exactly how to react, said Belousov. On May 23, Reuters headlined Exclusive: EU weighs Russia sanctions from caviar to oil and gas, saying: Reuters cited a two-page document. It explains three scenarios low, medium and high-intensity sanctions. Low ones target Russian diamonds, precious metals, furs, vodka, caviar, and other luxury goods. Medium ones aim at fertilizers, chemicals, tires, vessels to Russia, as well as weapons imports and exports. High-intensity ones target investments, capital markets, other financial operations, as well as importing oil and gas. At the same time, said Reuters, there is no (EU) unanimous backing for (this) move. German and other European business interests strongly oppose it. They want no restrictions imposed. They want nothing interfering with bottom line interests. Unless there is unanimous backing for stricter sanctions, the EU will not be able to move ahead a hurdle that has been frustrating for the United States, which is keen for Europe to move further in imposing restrictions on Moscow, said Reuters. On May 24, Itar Tass headlined Lugansk Republic head says provocations possible during Ukrainian presidential elections. A false flag attack may be planned. Lugansk Peoples Republic (LPR) Governor Valery Bolotov said: May 25 voting began. It remains ongoing. Kievs sham electoral process wont change things. Putschist-approved aspirants alone are competing. Billionaire bandit Petro Poroshenko looks sure to win. A previous article explained. He made his money the old-fashioned way. He stole it. He supported Maidan putschists. He ignored their violence. He helped bankroll them. He wants Ukraine plundered for profit. Hes up to his old tricks again. Hes paying 1,000 hryvnyas per day (about $84) for anti-Eastern Ukrainian freedom fighter volunteers. He admitted it publicly. Their life and health will be insured for one million hryvnyas, he said. Ukrainian forces receive 600 hryvnyas per month. Results are predetermined for Poroshenko to win. Perhaps on two rounds. Ballot choices exclude democracy. Expect worse than ever policies to follow. Fascist regimes operate this way. Ukraine is Europes worst. Putschists threaten regional security and stability. Voice of Russia (VOR) interviewed Ukrainian Dennis Schedrivy. He participated in Maidan protests. He supported them. No longer. Kiev-instigated violence continues, he said. He expects more ahead. He called coup-appointed Kiev officials junta governance. I dont see (May 25) elections as anything, he said. The whole thing with Maidan revolution is not successful. I am sure that at least part of the sane world will not accept these elections, he added. (T)hey are bombingcivilians(T)his is a farce. (T)hey will try to (legitimize) this whole circus Growing thousands of Ukrainians express similar views. Nothing ahead looks encouraging. War without mercy rages. Ukrainian forces target civilians. Theyre killing them in cold blood. Freedom is on the chopping block. Fascists want it entirely eliminated. They want unchallenged top-down hardline rule replacing it. They want it enforced. They want junta power institutionalized. Gangsterism is planned. Democracy is prohibited. They want what most Ukrainians oppose. It remains to be seen how theyll react. Civil war rages. National rebellion may follow. Nothing ahead looks promising. What kind of government usurps power? What kind establishes itself by force? What kind rules extrajudicially? What kind by intimidation? What kind of legitimacy do ultranationalist, xenophobic, neo-Nazi, anti-Semites have? What kind substitutes unrestrained coercion for rule of law principles? What kind prohibits opposing views? What kind mandates its message alone getting out? The same kind substituting despotism for democracy! The battle for Ukraines soul didnt end with putschists usurping power. It just began. It continues. Ukraines future is up for grabs. Ordinary people alone will determine it. They have every right to do so. Hopefully theyll take full advantage. Theyll have themselves to blame if not. A Final Comment On May 24, RT International headlined Russian journalists being banned entry to Ukraine to cover presidential election. Theyre accredited to do so. It doesnt matter. Theyre refused entry. RTs press service said: Its not the first time. It wont be the last. Fascist regimes operate this way. Expect more of the same ahead. Expect police state ruthlessness enforced. RTs Anna Knishenko, Elderra Khaled ad Konstantin Bolshakov arrived at Kievs Borispol International Airport. Knishenko explained what followed, saying: They were denied entry. For falsified reasons. For not properly explaining why they came, they were told. Echo of Moscow correspondent Ilya Azar was treated the same way. So were Russian TV channel reporters. Everyone denied entry had press cards. Ukraines Central Electoral Committee accredited them to cover its election earlier. It didnt matter. Fabricated reasons denied them. Kiev wants its message alone reported. It wants truth suppressed. A whole range of Russian media outlets, including Channel One, NTV, TVC and Zvezda channels have been denied entry to Ukraine headed by the coup-appointed authorities, said RT. Kiev putschists wage war on media freedom. Russian journalists are targeted. So are others not putschist-approved. On May 23, The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) headlined Russian journalists barred from entering Ukraine, saying: CPJ condemns the move(It) call(ed) on Ukrainian authorities to allow all journalists to carry out their job without harassment. CPJs Europe and Central Asia program researcher Muzaffar Suleymanov added: It equate(s) legitimate conflict reporting with terrorism, he added. CPJ denounced what media scoundrels ignore. They support Sundays sham process. They equate putschist rule with democracy. They turn truth on its head claiming it. Dont expect them to explain. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.His new book is titled How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War.Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/ 