(2022-02-22). NATO may get the war it wanted. peoplesworld.org 
The big news regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict over the President's Day holiday was that Russia's President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to enter two separatist regions of Ukraine for "peacekeeping" purposes. There has been no confirmation yet that Russian troops, in addition to those that may or may not have already been in those regions, have …
(2022-02-22). Biden to Ban Companies from Doing Business in Donetsk & Lugansk. telesurenglish.net On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that U.S. President Joe Biden will soon sign an executive order banning Americans from doing business in the two Ukrainian regions that Russia has recognized as independent states. | RELATED: | "President Biden will soon issue an Executive Order that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) and Lugansk People's Repub…
(2022-02-22). Russia sends troops into East Ukraine, Biden announces sanctions. wsws.org Monday's escalation comes after weeks in which the US and NATO recklessly ratcheted up tensions with Russia, including by sending 5,000 troops of the airborne division to Poland and 300 Javelin missiles to Ukraine, and unleashing a torrent of war propaganda.
(2022-02-22). The political and historical background to the US war drive against Russia. wsws.org In light of the major escalation Monday of the conflict between the United States and Russia, we are republishing excerpts from the 2016 statement of the International Committee of the Fourth International, "Socialism and the Fight Against War."
(2022-02-21). Russia Recognizes the Independence of Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. libya360.wordpress.com Signing of documents recognising Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics Address by the President of the Russian Federation Security Council Emergency Session on Ukraine Massive Russian Navy Armada Moves Into Place Off Ukraine H I Sutton The naval arm of Russia's military build-up around Ukraine is in place. Landing ships, major warships, submarines and aircraft effectively…
(2022-02-21). US plans to impose restrictions on international transactions of Russian banks — Reuters. tass.com The final list of banks subject to sanctions is yet to be formed…
(2022-02-21). The Ukraine Crisis and Lessons from the Balkans. juancole.com Belgrade (Special to Informed Comment) — A large scale conflict seems to be on the verge of breaking out between Western-backed Ukraine and two Russian-sponsored, breakaway republics, the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic. Tensions in the coal-rich Donbass region of Eastern Ukraine remain high, and though diplomacy may have postponed a full-scale war, …
(2022-02-21). Ukraine Answers to Russian Allegation on Soldiers Casualties. telesurenglish.net Ukraine has denied Russian claims stating that five of its service personnel were killed on Monday in a firefight near the two countries shared border. | RELATED: | Pavlo Kovalchuk, a military spokesman of Ukraine, affirmed that the country's armed forces have neither attacked Donetsk and Lugansk nor sent saboteurs across the border. He claimed that forces of the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk have shelled themselves to increase…
(2022-02-21). Russia Set to Recognize Donetsk & Luhansk as Independent States. telesurenglish.net On Monday, Russia's President Vladimir Putin held telephone conversations with the French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, informing them that he intends to sign a decree to recognize the Lugansk and Donetsk republics. | RELATED: | A few hours earlier, the leaders of these republics asked Putin to recognize the independence of their territories and provide them with cooperation to de…
(2022-02-21). Russia to Recognize Lugansk and Donetsk Republics' Sovereignty. telesurenglish.net The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, announced that Russia would recognize the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. He also signed the corresponding documents and asked for the support of the Federal Assembly regarding the signing of cooperation treaties with the Donbass breakaway states. | Donetsk and Lugansk Republics will be recognized as independent states. Feb. 21, 2022.
(2022-02-21). Russia calls Ukrainian President 'Heartless Cynic'. orinocotribune.com Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry, referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "heartless cynic" following his comments about shelling in Donbas. | In the statement posted on her Telegram account on Saturday, February 19, Maria Zakharova responded to Zelensky's claims that pro-independence forces in Donbas had fired on residents of the region, which is located in eastern Ukraine and contains the self-proclaimed independent Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic. | "Only a heartless cynic can make statements like 'they shot themselves' to the residents of Donb…
(2022-02-21). DPR Claims Shelling Against Donetsk From Ukraine. telesurenglish.net Denis Pushilin, President of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, disclosed that a battle is taking place near the Russian border between the Ukrainian forces and the Republic's popular army. | RELATED: | The leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk noted that the situation in the direction of Mariupol has sharply deteriorated, with Ukrainian military forces attacking the position of People's Police unit…
(2022-02-21). Ukrainian Saboteur Blows Up On His Own Mine Near Donetsk As Putin Prepares To Address Security Council. southfront.org 
Monday, February 21, was marked by the further deterioration of the situation in the conflict zone in the east of…
(2022-02-21). Russia to Participate in Contact Group If Kiev Agrees to Convene Meeting With DPR, LPR, Source Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – If Kiev manages to agree with the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) to hold Contact Group talks on the Donbass crisis, Russia will also participate in the negotiations, a Moscow source familiar with the matter told Sputnik.
(2022-02-21). Ukrainian Media Claims Zelenskyy Quietly Hoping Russia Will Recognise Donbass Breakaways. sputniknews.com Since the signing of the Minsk Agreements in February 2015, Moscow has consistently called for the peaceful reintegration of the Donbass breakaway regions with Ukraine in exchange for broad, constitutionally-guaranteed autonomy.
(2022-02-21). Headlines for February 21, 2022. democracynow.org Possible Biden-Putin Summit Announced Amid High Tensions, Unrest in Eastern Ukraine, California to Start Treating COVID-19 as Endemic Disease, Queen Elizabeth Tests Positive for Coronavirus; Canadian Police Clear Ottawa of "Freedom Convoy", 6 African Countries to Receive mRNA Technology as Part of WHO Program to Expand Vaccine Production, Al-Shabab Claims Bomb Blast That Killed at Least 13 in Somalian City of Beledweyne, Clashes on Malian Border Kill Dozens as France Announces Gradual Withdrawal, Iran Nuclear Deal Could Be Revived as Talks Enter Final Stretch, Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor Is Most De…
(2022-02-21). Ukraine Crisis Will Spurn Wave of Authoritarianism Around the World. strategic-culture.org Middle East countries, certainly in the GCC region, are benefitting from the Ukraine standoff as the heat is taken off them, Martin Jay writes. | Boris Johnson's words themselves may be prolific. He said at a conference on 19th of February in Munich that a Ukraine invasion would "echo" around the world while asking for Europe to take a united stand against Russia. In fact, the Ukraine crisis, without even one Russian soldier entering Eastern Ukraine, is having quite an impact already simply due to the media bandwidth it has taken, depriving other big stories the oxygen they deserve — particularly affecting…
(2022-02-21). Ukrainian Civilians Train for War as Ceasefire Violations Increase. news.antiwar.com Fighting has reignited in eastern Ukraine. Hundreds of violations of the Minsk Protocol have been recorded in the last week, with two Ukrainian soldiers killed and four injured on Saturday. A school and pipeline were among the infrastructure that was damaged. Kiev alleges the fighting was started by the separatists in the Donbas region. Russia …
(2022-02-21). What Is Going to Happen in Ukraine? transcend.org * Three possible scenarios in the current crisis in Ukraine. | * How current US-UK-NATO policy is designed to erect a new EU/Russia Iron Curtain. | * What the actual outcome could be.
(2022-02-21). The Growing Scandal Of The Missing Intelligence. popularresistance.org U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday said he was convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had made up his mind to invade Ukraine, but European officials are not convinced. | "As of this moment I'm convinced he has made the decision" to invade, Biden told a reporter in response to a question at a White House press briefing. Asked how he knows this, Biden said, "We have a significant intelligence capability." | But The Washington Post reported on Saturday that: | "Some European allies questioned the United States' conviction that the Kremlin will launch hostilities, saying that they have not seen direct eviden…
(2022-02-21). WWII Redux: The Endpoint of U.S. Policy from Ukraine to Taiwan. dissidentvoice.org "This is not going to be a war of Ukraine and Russia. This is going to be a European war, a full-fledged war." So spoke Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky just days after berating the U.S. for beating the drums of war. It is not hard to imagine how Zelensky's words must have fallen on those …
(2022-02-21). Japanese PM views phone call with Putin as part of efforts to ease tensions over Ukraine. tass.com The Japanese prime minister emphasized that he had called on the Russian leader "to abandon plans to change the situation by force and search for a generally acceptable solution through diplomatic negotiations"
(2022-02-21). Biden and Putin Agree "in Principle" to Ukraine Summit Amid Rising Tensions. truthout.org 
U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday agreed "in principle" to hold a summit on Ukraine as global fears of a war involving the two nuclear-armed powers remain high. | In a
(2022-02-21). Ukraine Seeks to Join NATO Despite Pressure From European Countries, Foreign Minister Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Ukraine is seeking to become a NATO member despite signals from some European countries urging it to abandon this idea, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, adding that the United States is not one of them.
(2022-02-21). Biden ready to meet with Putin, if "invasion" of Ukraine hasn't happened — White House. tass.com Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki added…
(2022-02-21). The Growing Scandal of the Missing Intelligence, Including on Alleged Russian 'Kill Lists'. strategic-culture.org 
There's been no intelligence revealed at State Dept. briefings, to the U.N., to European allies or Ukraine, but the U.S. wants everyone to believe they're telling the truth about an imminent Russian invasion and its "kill lists," writes Joe Lauria. | By Joe LAURIA | U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday said he was convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had made up his mind to invade Ukraine, but European officials are not convinced. | "As of this moment I'm convinced he has made the decision" to invade, Biden told a reporter in response to a question at a White House press briefing. Asked how he knows thi…
(2022-02-21). The Western Allied Nations Bully the World While Warning of Threats from China and Russia. transcend.org 17 Feb 2022 – Why the chief of Germany's navy, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schà∂nbach, was sacked? Because while in India he said two things that are unacceptable in the West: | ‚Ä¢ That "the Crimean Peninsula is gone and never [coming] back" to Ukraine.
(2022-02-21). Dominating the Information Space: The Narrative Floats Into Fantasy. strategic-culture.org Mass-data cloud analysis has become the new type modus operandi, vice basing forecasts on a psychological profiling of others' innate natures. | What we have been witnessing began on 3 December 2021 when the Washington Post signalled a massing of Russian troops for an invasion of Ukraine.
(2022-02-21). Russia Destroys 2 Ukrainian Combat Vehicles, Killing 5 Intruders. telesurenglish.net Russia's Defense Ministry announced on Monday that its forces destroyed two Ukrainian combat vehicles that violated the Russian state border earlier in the day. | RELATED: | At about 6 a.m. Moscow time in the border area of Russia's Rostov region, Federal Security Service (FSB) officers discovered the penetration of a sabotage and reconnaissance group from Ukraine. To detain the intruders, the FSB border detachment requ…
(2022-02-21). With Its Doomsday Clock at 100 Seconds to Midnight, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Calls for Escalating US Aggression against Russia. transcend.org 15 Feb 2022 – Citing the Atlantic Council, the US-based think tank for NATO, the Bulletin explains that the sanctions they advocate would cause the Russian economy to "experience significant chaos." Instead of supporting peaceful measures in the Ukraine, it has become a cheerleader for Washington. From an organization run by scientists, the current governing board of the Bulletin has hardly a scientist in sight.
(2022-02-21). Katrina vanden Heuvel: Smart Diplomacy Can Still Resolve the Ukraine Crisis Without War. democracynow.org 
As President Biden warns of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine, France has secured a commitment from both Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet at a summit in an effort to defuse the escalating tension. We speak to veteran journalist Katrina vanden Heuvel, whose latest article for The Washington Post, "A path out of the Ukraine crisis," argues both leaders must work to avoid a catastrophic war. "There's a bluffing that could be taken more lightly, except this is the most dangerous confrontation between the United States, NATO and Russia in decades," says vanden Heuv…
(2022-02-21). UK: Warmonger Johnson lies that Russia has already initiated plan to subjugate Ukraine. wsws.org Johnson told the BBC that "something that could be the biggest war in Europe since 1945… has already in some senses begun."
(2022-02-21). US Preparing Sanctions That Would Target Russian Banks, Reports Say. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The administration of US President Joe Biden could block US financial institutions from processing transactions for Russian banks as part of a sanctions package that will be implemented if Moscow decides to "invade" Ukraine, Reuters reports, citing anonymous sources.
(2022-02-21). UK Prime Minister Johnson lies that Russia has already initiated plan to subjugate Ukraine. wsws.org Johnson told the BBC that "something that could be the biggest war in Europe since 1945… has already in some senses begun."
(2022-02-21). Russia's Security Threats To Increase if Ukraine Joins NATO. telesurenglish.net Russian President, Vladimir Putin, exposed on Monday that if Ukraine joins NATO's bloc, as a consequence, the threats to Russian security might increase significantly. | RELATED: | "If Russia faces such a threat as Ukraine's admission to the North Atlantic Alliance, to NATO, then the threats to our country will increase many times," noted the Russian leader. | He made a recall on Article 5 of the North Atlantic T…
(2022-02-21). Kremlin Slams US 'Lies' About Russia's Alleged 'List' of Ukrainians 'To Be Killed, Sent to Camps'. sputniknews.com Amid Western claims of Russia's alleged preparations for an "invasion" of Ukraine, repeatedly been denied by the Kremlin, a letter from the US Ambassador to the UN addressed to United Nations High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet accused Moscow of drawing up lists of Ukrainians "to be killed or sent to camps" in the event of an alleged incursion.
(2022-02-21). Russia Announces Withdrawal of Troops near Ukraine as Drills End. transcend.org 15 Feb 2022 – Amid the hype around a potential Russian invasion, Moscow announced today that it is withdrawing troops from areas near Ukraine as military drills in the region conclude. The Russian Defense Ministry said the troops are returning to their permanent bases.
(2022-02-21). Russia not to attack Ukraine, has no such plans: envoy to US. en.mehrnews.com Russia has no plans of any attack on Ukraine and is not implementing it now, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said, adding that there are no such plans.
(2022-02-21). Western media helps Ukrainian neo-Nazis spread staged propaganda. multipolarista.com 
Ukraine's neo-Nazi Azov Battalion organized a photo op training Ukrainian elderly women and children to shoot guns. Top US and British media outlets eagerly spread the fascist propaganda to demonize Russia.
(2022-02-21). Ukraine Crisis is Part of New Cold War on Russia (and China). orinocotribune.com By Jenny Clegg — Feb 17, 2022 | The US-manufactured crisis in Ukraine is part of the NATO drive to subordinate Europe, to prevent its tilt toward the China-Russia partnership and the Eurasian powers' attempt to build a new multipolar world. | As Russia has maintained its Why is Washington choosing to stoke a conflict wit…
(2022-02-21). US embassy in Russia will find it difficult to work if expulsions continue — ambassador. tass.com In particular, the ambassador's biggest concern is that the embassy's infrastructure is aging, and important systems need to be maintained or replaced…
(2022-02-21). Berlin Claims No Promises on NATO Expansion Made to Russia Despite Release of Classified Doc. sputniknews.com Last week, Spiegel published a formerly classified document retrieved from the British national archive dated 1991 which showed that Western powers made an explicit commitment to Moscow not to expand the NATO alliance beyond the borders of a reunified Germany.
(2022-02-21). Sputnik Light May Become Universal Booster Shot as China Approves Mix&Match COVID Vaccination. sputniknews.com The mix&match approach to coronavirus vaccination was pioneered by the makers of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine and has proven its effectiveness in creating a stronger and more durable immunity, including against the Omicron variant.
(2022-02-21). RAND Corporation Study Calls for Regime Change in Moscow. transcend.org 13 Feb 2022 — Imagine how Moscow felt when they first read this study. It is clear that there is a method behind US-NATO madness. If you were sitting in Russia's shoes how would you react to these proposals — many of which have been or are now being implemented?>
(2022-02-21). Munich Security Conference targets Russia. wsws.org This year's Munich Security Conference was dominated by the escalation of preparations for a conflict between the USA and NATO against Russia.
(2022-02-21). Cancun Cruz dares Say Biden is Weak on Putin, when he Supports "Vladimir's Lapdog" Donald Trump. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The Hill reports that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is saying that Joe Biden is the best thing that ever happened to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Cruz is trotting out the tried and true Republican tactic of Chickenhawk Macho. He does not have any credibility in this regard, since he ran …
(2022-02-21). Elysee Palace announces consent of Putin and Biden to hold security summit. tass.com Questions for the summit will be prepared by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during their February 24 meeting…
(2022-02-21). US Ambassador: Moscow Embassy Is Not Safe. telesurenglish.net On Sunday, John Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, stated that because of Russian authorities' restrictions imposed on diplomats, the Moscow Embassy is not a safe place anymore, he claims. | RELATED: | The diplomat disclosed that the lack of personnel had compromised the mission. "If the expulsions by the Russian government continue, it will be very difficult to continue to function safely as an embassy," Sul…
(2022-02-21). Stop the drive to World War 3! wsws.org Amid a pandemic that has killed nearly one million people in the US and continues to kill more than 2,000 every day, the Biden administration is focusing all attention on an increasingly hysterical campaign for war against Russia.
(2022-02-21). Under United States Pressure On Germany Faces a Moment of Choice. journal-neo.org 
The Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his United States counterpart Antony Blinken are scheduled to hold a meeting next week at an as yet undisclosed European location. It is difficult to see what the two men have to talk about. Lavrov has recently held meetings in Moscow with his British counterpart Elizabeth Truss. To …
