By Michael Schwirtz / Clifford Levy
New York Times
MOSCOW – Protestors held demonstrations in January all over Russia, offering largely subdued, but pointed criticism of the Russian government’s economic policies as Russia continues to sink deeper into an economic morass.
Even though anti-government protests are rare, the latest public anger comes around the growing anger against the present government which is not used to widespread criticism. The present Russian officials at first refused to acknowledge the growing economic troubles brought on by step oil prices and the capitalist worldwide financial downturn.
Russian government has allocated billions of dollars to bail out its private banks and companies, but has no policy in dealing with the alarmingly mounting unemployment and a rapidly devalued ruble.
About 1,000 people attended a protest rally in Moscow organized by the Russian Communist Party, which called for a return to a Soviet era centralized economy, Cordons of riot police were on hand, but did not interfere.
(Interestingly enough, in another part of Moscow there was also a protest rally, but it was not sanctioned by the authorities as was the CPRF, but they had to elude the police chasing them. Editor) This protest carried red Soviet flags and shouted “Down with the present regime!” and “Down with Putin-Medvedev!” Many people were arrested from this group of demonstrators.
There was also a sanctioned and promoted pro-Kremlin party, ”United Russia” and chanted support fort Putin-Medvedev government.
In Vladivostok there was a huge demonstration against Medvedev-Putin, and, even if it was more peaceful, but in December of 2008, the Russian police brutally broke up the demonstration with many arrests and much blood spilled. Putin-Medvedev last December flew in extra riot police from Moscow and their brutality caused even more demonstrators to take to the streets. Over 1,000 demonstrators marched through Vladivostok and then held a rally in front of the monument to V.I. Lenin – and there and then they demanded the resignation of the Russian Government!
As the leader of the organized demonstration, Vladimir Grishukov told the crowd: “The present Russian government which does not listen to the people, must resign. Only when there is a government in the Kremlin and in Vladivostok which meets the demands of the people and comes under the control of the people, only then will we solve the important and crucial problems!”
President Yushenko and Premier Tymoshenko are disgracing Ukraine.
Without shame they are siphoning gas from Russia from the transit pipelines, and without paying anything they are storing this gas in underground terminals – 30 billion cubic meters of Russian gas – telling Russia that Ukraine had paid for everything in full.
But when Ukrainian debt to Russia surpassed $2.5 billions, Russia said enough is enough! On January 1, 2009 the GASPROM of Russia shut off the gas supply to Ukraine 100%. Russia was correct as far as business transactions go.
Across the territory of Ukraine there are 7 gas pipelines, 5 of those gas lines are to supply gas to other European countries. When Russia was forced to shut off the gas, Ukraine then started even more to steal gas again from the pipelines by 20.0 million cubic feet per day from the European gas pipelines.
Russia said that from now on Gazprom will charge Ukraine prices that it charges other European countries – $480 per cubic meter.
Mr. Putin, this is the time to remind you, when in 2004 you gave cheap gas and other products to pro-American and anti-Russian regimes of Ukraine and Georgia, while you blocked the export of
This criminal and corrupt regime of Ukraine is to the liking of America should have worried Russia. But you started to support anti-communists and idiots in Ukraine like Yushenko and Tymoshenko – these criminals who will eventually be brought to justice!
As a result of your policy, Russia, together with Ukraine are
repeating the terrible results of your unthinkable and reactionary
politics.
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| Young protestors carrying placards against Yushenko and Tymoshenko |
From newspaper SADOVOYE KOLCO – Moscow
Zyuganov’s statement in the Russian Duma was very revealing. He stated that the present regime of Putin-Medvedev have fulfilled his expectations regarding the past conflict in South Ossetia. He claimed credit for this policy by always urging Russia to act. This past conflict did not happen overnight, but it was boiling-up since the fall of the USSR. In Zyuganov’s speech we cannot find one iota of Marxist analyses at all.
The next step by Zyuganov and his stoolies is to join Zhirinovsky and his crew and thus promote more social-chauvinism, which will be the order of the day.
It is evident that the CPRF have “cleansed itself” of dedicated Communists. CPRF has become the saboteur, by splitting the existing communist parties and trying to get them into the tight grip of the CPRF and its support for the present Russian bourgeois regime of Putin-Medvedev.
The role of the CPRF is now not only to dismember the communist struggles in Russia, but to use CPRF and its well funded apparatus to disunite the communist and workers movements all over the world. Today the real aim of the CPRF leadership is “social chauvinism!
Alexander Veselov
Condensed for space reasons only.
http://www.gobalresearch.ca/index. php-context
Russia’s Foreign Minister stated: “Ukraine’s Euro-NATO aspirations require that it solves all of its problems, including any border disputes. They charge that we are stealing their land in the Kerch Strait – this is just for one reason only – for Ukraine to be able to join NATO as soon as possible. We reject such accusations!”
He also said, “It’s impossible to seize something that doesn’t exist. No one has ever acknowledged that Russia and Ukraine have a state border in the Kerch Strait in the Sea of Azov.”
“The present situation \in Far East bears witness to the fact of a deliberate destruction of the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, preventing Palestinians from returning to their iconic Motherland and the creation of a free and independent Palestinian State in the framework of the 1967 borders with its capital of East Jerusalem. Israel with the help of US imperialism is in favor of the plans of World Zionism for the complete take over of Palestine!
Without a unification of efforts of the Arab world in the struggle against world Zionism, the fires of war in the Middle East will constantly burn, at times getting less, but then flaring up anew and stronger than ever!
N.A. Andreeva
General Secretary AUCPB
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| Galina Savchenko |
Dear Mr. Minister I. Vinsko!
It seems that in Ukraine not only do they steal Russian gas, but also personal correspondence.
I quote from the Constitution of Ukraine Article 31, which states: “Everyone is guaranteed privacy of all correspondence, telephone calls, telegraph messages and other correspondence.”
When I found out that from my post office box #87 in Kiev Post Office #133 that package of my mail from Canada, Moscow and Zaporozhe was not received by me in 2008, I started to enquire and search the reasons for this.
I found out that Moscow did not receive 3 letters from me as well as Zaporozhe also. I did not receive letters and NSC from Canada. I was also not informed about the travel money that was sent to me to attend the International Council Meeting in October of 2008.
Mr. Minister, do not state that you guarantee personal postal service for the people!
I demand:
1. Give the militia the power to stop these people who always are “cleaning” my mail.
2. Return back my parcels from Canada and other destinations. The people working on December 20, 2008 are known and they should be investigated.
In a news dispatch from Moscow by Associated Press on February 7th, 2008, the regime of Putin-Medvedev agreed to allow the transport of US “non-lethal” military supplies for Afghanistan to cross its territory by air and by land, as an alternative route to Pakistani roads that arte always under attack by the militant attacks. This news statement was issued by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, on behalf of the Putin-Medvedev regime. This is the traitorous road that Putin-Medvedev now undertook – and of course US Imperialism will grease the palms of these two traitors with $$$ very handsomely!
Question begs to be asked as to what are “non-lethal weapons” that US imperialism wants to ship to Afghanistan to help their occupation of a sovereign state? Are these “non-lethal weapons” brooms, wooden sticks, shoes or slings to throw mud?
By allowing US Imperialism to ship these “non-lethal” weapons of any form, makes the Russian regime guilty as US imperialism in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of the suffering Afghan people.
When time comes to face the music, US Imperialism and the present Russian regime will be judged as war criminals.
Any weapon is LETHAL – there is no NON-LETHAL weapon!
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov "will issue relevant permissions" to let U.S. supplies cross its territory. |
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