{"id":250184,"date":"2023-12-11T12:00:16","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=250184"},"modified":"2024-07-01T08:20:06","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T07:20:06","slug":"us-sabotaged-the-kiev-moscow-march-2022-peace-agreement-in-istanbul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2023\/12\/us-sabotaged-the-kiev-moscow-march-2022-peace-agreement-in-istanbul\/","title":{"rendered":"US Sabotaged the Kiev-Moscow March 2022 Peace Agreement in Istanbul"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/zelensky-putin-768x440-1.webp\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-250186\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/zelensky-putin-768x440-1.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/zelensky-putin-768x440-1.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/zelensky-putin-768x440-1-300x172.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>8 Dec 2023 &#8211;<em>\u00a0The End Game is the Destruction and Privatization of Ukraine &#8211; Ukrainian negotiators would agree not to join alliances or host bases of foreign troops. The proposals would require a referendum in Ukraine. <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Michel Chossudovsky\u2018s introductory text is followed by the carefully researched article by Nauman Sadiq first published on 31 Mar 2022 in the immediate wake of the failed peace negotiations in Istanbul.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">**********************<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Sabotage of the Kiev-Moscow March 2022 <\/strong><strong>Peace Agreement in Istanbul<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>The End Game is the Destruction\u00a0<\/strong><strong>and Privatization of Ukraine<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>by Michel Chossudovsky 8 Dec 2023<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Introduction\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>My first reaction in early March 2022,<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>following Russia\u2019s<strong> \u201cSpecial Operation\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>initiated on February 24, 2022, was that<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>The War in Ukraine Had \u201cEnded before It Began\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>The Russians literally destroyed Ukraine\u2019s Air Force and Navy at the very outset in February-March 2022.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Also Russia gained strategic control over a large part of the Black Sea and total control of the Sea of Azov.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Anyone who has a minimal understanding of military strategies, knows that you cannot wage a conventional ground war without a Navy and an Air Force. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>U.S. military strategists were no doubt fully aware at the very outset that Ukraine could not under any circumstances \u201cwin the war\u201d.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Peace negotiations were carried out in early March in Istanbul. A \u00a0draft agreement was signed. It was immediately <strong>the object of sabotage by Washington.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>1. The Neocons in Washington &#8211; Peace is Not An Option<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The NeoCons are firmly behind the Ukraine agenda. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/bombshell-nato-says-war-started-in-2014-nato-war-against-russia-fake-pretext-to-invoke-article-5-of-atlantic-treaty\/5828312\" >They were actively involved in the<\/a> <strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/bombshell-nato-says-war-started-in-2014-nato-war-against-russia-fake-pretext-to-invoke-article-5-of-atlantic-treaty\/5828312\" >US Sponsored 2014 EuroMaidan Coup d\u2019\u00e9tat<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>which was conducive \u201cin the name of Western democracy\u201d to a \u201cregime change\u201d: namely the installation of<strong> a Neo-Nazi puppet government in Kiev.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>US-NATO is firmly embedded in the Kiev regime\u2019s Neo-Nazi project the objective of which is to\u00a0<strong>destroy Ukraine as well wage war on\u00a0Russia.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cryptome.org\/rad.htm\" ><strong>Project for the New American\u00a0Century (PNAC)<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0dominates US foreign policy on behalf of powerful financial interests.<\/p>\n<p>The PNAC dispels the planning of \u201cconsecutive\u201d military operations:\u00a0it describes:<\/p>\n<p>America\u2019s \u201c<strong>Long War\u201d as follows:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cfight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous major theater wars\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The conduct of \u00a0\u201c<strong>Simultaneous Theater Wars\u201d<\/strong> is the backbone of America\u2019s hegemonic Agenda.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a project of global warfare.<strong>\u00a0The PNAC controlled by the NeoCons also dispels the holding of real peace negotiations.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pnac-nuclear.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5823899 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pnac-nuclear.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pnac-nuclear.png 3226w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pnac-nuclear-300x126.png 300w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pnac-nuclear-768x324.png 768w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pnac-nuclear-1024x432.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pnac-nuclear-400x169.png 400w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pnac-nuclear-232x98.png 232w\" alt=\"\" width=\"664\" height=\"280\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>There is a hidden agenda behind this war.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine was slated to be destroyed as a sovereign country and eventually privatized. (see analysis in Section 6 below)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Boris Johnson\u2019s Sabotage\u00a0Mission\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In response to the Istanbul peace agreement, \u00a0(Former) U.K. PM <strong>Boris\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Johnson<\/strong>\u00a0was dispatched\u00a0in March 2022 on an unannounced special\u00a0mission\u00a0to Kiev.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The objective of his assignment was sabotage on behalf of Washington:<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><\/i>\u201cThe media had already started to announce the probable success of the peace talks\u2026 but\u2026\u203c\ufe0f Boris Johnson suddenly appeared in Kiev with military gifts for Zelensky, after which the Ukrainian delegation did not appear again at the negotiations,\u201d he further tweeted.<\/p>\n<p>He [Tweet] cited that Zelensky broke his promise when the Russians withdrew their troops from Kiev in view of the peace agreement between the two nations.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It is worth noting that <strong>Denis Kireev<\/strong>, who was part of the Kiev negotiating team, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/one-less-traitor-zelensky-oversees-campaign-assassination-kidnapping-torture-political-opposition\/5777966\" >\u201cwas killed in broad daylight in Kiev after the first round of talks with Russia\u201d<\/a>. Kireev was subsequently <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/ukraine-reports-claim-negotiator-shot-for-treason-officials-say-he-died-in-intel-op\/\" >accused<\/a> in local Ukrainian media of \u201ctreason.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>President Volodymyr Zelensky\u2019s statement that \u201cthere would be consequences for collaborators\u201d [with Russia] indicates that these atrocities have been sanctioned by the highest levels of government. (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/one-less-traitor-zelensky-oversees-campaign-assassination-kidnapping-torture-political-opposition\/5777966\" >See this<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><strong>3. President Putin Revealed Details Concerning the Draft Peace Agreement\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>At Saint Petersburg (June 19, 2023), President Putin revealed details concerning the draft peace agreement signed in Istanbul by Kiev and Moscow in March 2022,<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cinitialed by a leader from the negotiation group of Kyiv who even signed the document of \u2018security guarantees of Ukraine\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-24-at-6.07.15-PM.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5823499 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-24-at-6.07.15-PM.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-24-at-6.07.15-PM.png 1088w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-24-at-6.07.15-PM-243x300.png 243w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-24-at-6.07.15-PM-768x949.png 768w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-24-at-6.07.15-PM-829x1024.png 829w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-24-at-6.07.15-PM-400x494.png 400w\" alt=\"\" width=\"529\" height=\"654\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa\u203c\ufe0fPutin: &quot;Peace was signed between Ukraine and Russia in the spring of 2022.&quot;\u203c\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p>  <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Putin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#Putin<\/a> publicly showed the previously unpublished document in front of South African President Ramaphosa.<\/p>\n<p>  (Nato reportedly sent disgraced US puppet Boris Johnson to force Kiev to back down.) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/DQ4stmvAD3\" >pic.twitter.com\/DQ4stmvAD3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Djole \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf8 (@onlydjole) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/onlydjole\/status\/1670141702797967361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >June 17, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Putin also questioned, \u201cWhere are the guarantees that they will not renounce any other agreements in the future?\u201d (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/news\/world\/putin-publicly-shows-draft-of-peace-treaty-signed-by-russia-ukraine-in-2022-watch-11687136116863.html\" >Live Mint<\/a>, June 19, 2023)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Germany\u2019s\u00a0Former Chancellor G. Schroeder Confirms \u201cSabotage\u201d of Peace Agreement\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In October 2023, Germany\u2019s Former Chancellor<strong> Gerhard Schroeder<\/strong> confirmed in <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.berliner-zeitung.de\/politik-gesellschaft\/gerhard-schroeder-im-exklusiv-interview-was-merkel-2015-gemacht-hat-war-politisch-falsch-li.2151196?utm_medium\" >an October 2023 Interview with the Berliner Zeitung<\/a> that\u00a0the United States had deliberately sabotaged the Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks.<\/p>\n<p>Below are excerpts of this interview: (Translation by Global Research)<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Berliner Zeitung<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to Ukraine, the Bucha massacres [allegedly] committed by the Russians led to the end of the negotiations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>G. Schroeder<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nothing was known about Butscha during the [peace]\u00a0talks on March 7th and 13th. \u00a0I think the Americans didn\u2019t want an agreement [compromise] between Ukraine and Russia.\u00a0<strong>The Americans believed that they could keep the Russians down.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Now it is the case that two actors, China and Russia, which are confronted by the USA, are joining forces.\u00a0Americans believe they are strong enough to keep both sides in check.\u00a0In my humble opinion, this is a mistake. Just look at how torn the American side is now. Look at the chaos in the U.S. Congress.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Berliner Zeitung\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Do you think the peace plan can be resumed?<\/p>\n<p><strong>G. \u00a0Schroeder<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yes. And the only ones who can initiate this are France and Germany.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Berliner Zeitung<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But how can you trust the Russians? In January 2022 it was said that the Russians did not want a war with Ukraine.\u00a0Then, when the Russians invaded Donbass, it was said that the Russians didn\u2019t want to go to Kiev.\u00a0All of these promises have been broken.\u00a0Shouldn\u2019t we be afraid that the Russians might go further and further?<\/p>\n<p><strong>G. Schroeder<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>There is no threat.\u00a0This fear of the Russians coming is absurd<\/strong>.\u00a0How are they supposed to defeat NATO, let alone occupy Western Europe?<\/p>\n<p>They had almost reached Kiev.\u00a0What do the Russians want?\u00a0Status quo in Donbass and Crimea. Not more.\u00a0I think it was a fatal mistake that Putin started the war.\u00a0It is clear to me that Russia feels threatened.<\/p>\n<p>Look: Turkey is a NATO member.\u00a0There are missiles that can reach Moscow directly.\u00a0The USA wanted to bring NATO to Russia\u2019s western border, with Ukraine as a new member.\u00a0All of this was felt like [interpreted] as a threat to the Russians.<\/p>\n<p>There are also irrational points of view. I don\u2019t want to deny that.\u00a0The Russians responded with a mix of both: fear and forward defense.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why<strong> no one in Poland, the Baltics, and certainly not in Germany \u2013 all NATO members, by the way \u2013 has to believe they are in danger.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Russians would not start a war with any NATO member<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(<strong>Berliner Zeitung<\/strong>, translation and minor edits by Global Research, emphasis added)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Of\u00a0significance\u00a0Schroeder acknowledges that <strong>\u201cthe peace plan can be resumed\u201d. <\/strong>He\u00a0calls upon France and Germany to play a lead role:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201c<strong>And the only ones who can initiate this are France and Germany\u201d.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><strong>5. Washington Pressures German Politicians: Defend Your Country against \u201ca Russian Attack\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Washington is not only behind the sabotage of \u00a0peace negotiations \u2013including Minsk 1, 2 and Istanbul\u2013 it has also pressured\u00a0German politicians to defend their country against the possibility of \u00a0a \u201cRussian attack\u201d:<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-placeholder=\"Translation\"><span lang=\"en\">\u201cIn a confidential strategy paper, <strong>General Chief of Staff Zorn<\/strong> swears that the Bundeswehr will face tough years ahead. A conflict with Russia is becoming more likely. The troops must concentrate fully on defence\u00a0[<em>Abwehr<\/em>] against an attack\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-placeholder=\"Translation\">What this bold statement suggests is that <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/russische-invasion-wird-immer-wahrscheinlicher-general-warnt-vor-moglichem-russland-angriff-auf-deutschland\/5806271\" >Germany and its allies should \u201cdefend themselves\u201d (plural) against a Russian attack<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-placeholder=\"Translation\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5806152 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Screen-Shot-2023-01-26-at-3.28.25-PM.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 619px) 100vw, 619px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Screen-Shot-2023-01-26-at-3.28.25-PM.png 1608w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Screen-Shot-2023-01-26-at-3.28.25-PM-300x142.png 300w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Screen-Shot-2023-01-26-at-3.28.25-PM-768x363.png 768w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Screen-Shot-2023-01-26-at-3.28.25-PM-1024x484.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Screen-Shot-2023-01-26-at-3.28.25-PM-400x189.png 400w\" alt=\"\" width=\"619\" height=\"292\" \/><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-placeholder=\"Translation\">See also the contradictory statement of Germany\u2019s Foreign Minister <strong>Annalena Baerbock<\/strong>,\u00a0who studied foreign policy in <strong>Klaus Schwab\u2019s WEF Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL):\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-placeholder=\"Translation\"><strong>\u201cThe most important is that we do it together, we are fighting against Russia<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1618228582647754752&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalresearch.ca%2Fis-peace-on-the-horizon-russia-wraps-up-military-operation-in-ukraine%2F5776082&amp;sessionId=c8dc9cbd1a5a71b8ed017b4386443af244573b0f&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=b2c2611296916%3A1702048662315&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"1618228582647754752\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><\/div>\n<h3><strong>6. The Destruction and Privatization of Ukraine<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In retrospect, \u201cthis never ending war\u201d (which has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives) has another unspoken objective:<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/the-neocons-proxy-war-against-ukraine-nuclear-war-is-on-the-table-the-privatization-of-ukraine\/5823896\" ><strong>The destruction and\u00a0privatization of \u00a0an entire country on behalf of powerful financial interests.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>BlackRock, which is the World\u2019s largest portfolio investment company together with JPMorgan\u00a0have \u00a0come to the rescue of Ukraine.\u00a0They are slated to set up the\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/3d6041fb-5747-4564-9874-691742aa52a2\" >Ukraine Reconstruction Bank<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The stated objective is \u201cto attract billions of dollars in private investment to assist rebuilding projects in a war-torn country\u201d. (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/3d6041fb-5747-4564-9874-691742aa52a2\" >FT<\/a>, June 19, 2023)<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2026 BlackRock, JP Morgan and private investors, aim <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/3d6041fb-5747-4564-9874-691742aa52a2\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">to profit from the country\u2019s reconstruction<\/a> along with 400 global companies, including Citi, Sanofi and Philips. \u2026\u00a0JP Morgan\u2019s Stefan Weiler sees a <strong>\u201ctremendous opportunity\u201d for private investors.<\/strong> (Colin Todhunter, Global Research June 28, 2023)<\/p>\n<p>The Kiev Neo-Nazi regime is a partner in this endeavour. <strong>War is Good for Business.\u00a0The greater the destruction, the greater the stranglehold on Ukraine <\/strong>by \u201cprivate investors\u201d:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBlackRock and JPMorgan Chase are helping the Ukrainian government set up a reconstruction bank to steer public seed capital into rebuilding projects that can attract hundreds of billions of dollars in private investment.\u201d (FT, op cit)<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Privatization of Ukraine<\/strong> was launched in November 2022 in liaison \u00a0with BlackRock\u2019s \u00a0consulting company \u00a0<strong>McKinsey,<\/strong>\u00a0a public relations firm which has largely been responsible for co-opting corrupt politicians and officials Worldwide not to mention scientists and intellectuals on behalf of powerful financial interests.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Kyiv government engaged BlackRock\u2019s consulting arm in November to determine how best to attract that kind of capital, and then <strong>added JPMorgan in February.<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/o\/lrfjL\/https:\/\/www.ft.com\/ukraine\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-trackable=\"link\">Ukraine<\/a> president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced last month that the country was working with the two financial groups and consultants at McKinsey.<\/p>\n<p>BlackRock and Ukraine\u2019s Ministry of Economy signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2023.<\/p>\n<p>In late December 2022, <strong>president Zelensky<\/strong> and BlackRock\u2019s CEO <strong>Larry Fink<\/strong> agreed on an investment strategy.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/blackrock-zelensky.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5824052 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/blackrock-zelensky.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/blackrock-zelensky.png 1554w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/blackrock-zelensky-277x300.png 277w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/blackrock-zelensky-768x831.png 768w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/blackrock-zelensky-946x1024.png 946w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/blackrock-zelensky-400x433.png 400w\" alt=\"\" width=\"485\" height=\"525\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">**********************************************<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Below is the detailed report by Nauman Sadiq published by Global Research in March 2022. The article provides details on the peace negotiations as well as on the political response of the Pentagon, the US State Department and Western media.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Is Peace on the Horizon? <\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Russia Wraps Up Military Operation in Ukraine?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>by Nauman Sadiq\u00a0\u00a0 31 Mar 2022<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, leading the Russian peace delegation in Istanbul talks, told reporters Tuesday:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><em>\u201cIn order to increase mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for further negotiations and achieving the ultimate goal of agreeing and signing an agreement, <strong>a decision was made to radically, by a large margin, reduce military activity in the Kyiv and Chernihiv directions.\u201d <\/strong>\u00a0(emphasis added)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Ukrainian negotiators said that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/ukraine-sets-ceasefire-goal-new-russia-talks-breakthrough-looks-distant-2022-03-29\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">under their proposals<\/a>, <strong>Kyiv would agree not to join alliances or host bases of foreign troops, but would have security guarantees<\/strong> in terms similar to Article 5, the collective defense clause of the transatlantic NATO military alliance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><strong>The proposals, which would require a referendum in Ukraine<\/strong>, mentioned a 15-year consultation period on the status of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. The fate of the southeastern Donbas region, which Russia demands Ukraine cede to separatists, would be discussed by the Ukrainian and Russian leaders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Kyiv\u2019s proposals also included one that <strong>Moscow would not oppose Ukraine joining the European Union<\/strong>, Russia\u2019s lead negotiator <strong>Vladimir Medinsky<\/strong> said. Russia has previously opposed Ukrainian membership of the EU and especially of the NATO military alliance. Medinsky said Russia\u2019s delegation would study and present the proposals to President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">The Russian offer scaling back its blitz north of the capital and focusing instead on liberating Russian-majority Donbas region in east Ukraine, a task that has already been accomplished in large measure, was a major concession ending the month-long offensive in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Whereas Ukrainian demands were minor details that can be discussed later, either bilaterally between Russia and Ukraine, or on international forums, such as the UN Security Council or General Assembly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">In any case, <strong>Russia has already accomplished its strategic objectives in Ukraine, as the Crimean Peninsula and the Donbas region are now de facto independent territories<\/strong> where Russian peacekeeping forces have been deployed to maintain peace and stability.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><strong>\u201cUkrainian negotiators have essentially agreed to Russia\u2019s principal security demands of rejecting NATO membership<\/strong> and regarding the presence of foreign military bases on its territory,\u201d the Kremlin\u2019s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky <a href=\"https:\/\/sputniknews.com\/20220330\/kiev-has-essentially-agreed-to-russias-key-demands-of-not-joining-nato-deploying-bases-negotiator-1094328708.html\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">told Sputnik News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><strong>Zelensky \u00a0Contradicts Ukraine Peace Negotiators<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Tacitly acknowledging Russian troop withdrawal north of the capital as pledged by the Russian peace delegation in Istanbul, Ukrainian President <strong>Volodymyr Zelensky<\/strong> referred to Russian troop movements away from Kyiv and Chernihiv in an early morning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/ukraine-preparing-new-russian-offensive-east-zelenskiy-says-2022-03-30\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">video address<\/a> and said that was not a withdrawal but rather \u201cthe consequence of our defenders\u2019 work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Zelensky added that Ukraine is seeing \u201ca build-up of Russian forces for new strikes on the Donbas and we are preparing for that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><strong>\u201cThe combat potential of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been significantly reduced, which allows us to focus our main attention and efforts on achieving the main goal\u2014the liberation of Donbas<\/strong>,\u201d Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu proudly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aa.com.tr\/en\/russia-ukraine-war\/russia-has-achieved-main-initial-goals-in-ukraine-defense-chief\/2549120\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">boasted Tuesday<\/a>. (emphasis added)<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">He added that 123 of Ukraine\u2019s 152 fighter jets had been destroyed, as well as 77 of its 149 helicopters and 152 of its 180 long- and medium-range air defense systems, while its naval forces had been totally eliminated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">It\u2019s noteworthy that the Russian special military operation, dubbed \u201cOperation Z\u201d by Vladimir Putin, wasn\u2019t a full-scale war. In fact, the Kremlin strictly forbade Russian media from calling the operation a war. It was a calculated military incursion having well-defined security objectives: the liberation of Donbas and denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Those military objectives have already been achieved in large measure, as not only the Russian-majority Donbas including Kherson and Mariupol in the southeast have been liberated but the battles are ongoing in the adjacent areas in the northeast, Kharkiv and Sumy, that will hopefully fall soon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><strong>Sergey Shoigu<\/strong> has already proved through facts and figures how the country has been demilitarized with the combat potential of Ukraine\u2019s armed forces significantly degraded.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><strong>Denazification<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">As for denazification, Donbas was the hub of neo-Nazi Azov, Right Sector, Dnipro 1 and 2, Aidar and myriad of other ultra-nationalist militias funded, armed and <a href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/exclusive-secret-cia-training-program-in-ukraine-helped-kyiv-prepare-for-russian-invasion-090052743.html\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">trained by the CIA<\/a> since the 2014 Maidan coup toppling Ukrainian President <strong>Viktor Yanukovych<\/strong> and consequent annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/mail-1.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-5762472 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/mail-1.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/mail-1.png 696w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/mail-1-273x300.png 273w, https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/mail-1-400x439.png 400w\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"681\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">With the liberation of Donbas and deployment of Russian peacekeeping forces, <strong>neo-Nazi militias wouldn\u2019t find a foothold, at least, in east Ukraine bordering Russia\u2019s vulnerable western flank.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">As for the \u201c40-mile-long\u201d convoy of battle tanks, armored vehicles and heavy artillery that descended from Belarus in the north and reached the outskirts of Kyiv in the early days of the war without encountering much resistance en route the capital, that was simply a power projection gambit astutely designed as a diversionary tactic by Russia\u2019s cunning military strategists in order to deter Ukraine from sending reinforcements to Donbas in east Ukraine, where real battles for territory were actually fought, and scramble to defend the embattled country\u2019s capital instead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Except in the early days of the war when Russian airstrikes and long-range artillery shelling targeted military infrastructure in the outskirts of Kyiv to reduce the combat potential of Ukraine\u2019s armed forces, the capital did not witness much action during the month-long offensive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Otherwise, with the tremendous firepower at its disposal, the world\u2019s second most powerful military had the demonstrable capability to reduce the whole city down to ashes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">What further lends credence to the indisputable fact that the Russian assault on Kyiv was meant simply as a show of force rather than actual military objective to occupy the capital is the fact that Belarusian troops didn\u2019t take part in the battle despite staging military exercises alongside Russian forces before the invasion and despite the fact that Belarusian President <strong>Aleksander Lukashenko<\/strong>\u00a0is a dependable ally of the Russian strongman, Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Although Russia incurred 1,351 fatalities during the war, as candidly admitted by the Russian defense ministry, the myth of countless charred Russian tanks, armored vehicles and artillery pieces littering the streets of Ukraine\u2019s towns and cities is a downright fabrication peddled by the corporate media as a psychological warfare tactic to insidiously portray the losing side in the conflict as a winning side.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><strong>Besides the handful neo-Nazi militias and foreign mercenaries fighting pitched battles against Russian forces in Donbas, the much-touted \u201cresistance\u201d was nowhere to be found in the rest of Ukraine. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">The \u201c40-mile-long\u201d column of armored vehicles that created panic in the rank and file of Ukraine\u2019s security forces and their international backers didn\u2019t move an inch further after reaching the outskirts of Kyiv in the early days of the war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">In fact, it wasn\u2019t a fighting force at all. After conducting joint military exercises with Belarussian troops last month, young Russian soldiers, dubbed \u201cconscripts\u201d by the Western media, continued their training exercises on the Ukrainian territory and gained valuable battlefield experience. Now, they would return home and recount their adventures to their families.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Nonetheless, in the parallel reality of the Russo-Ukraine War conjured up by the spin-doctors of foreign policy think tanks and national security correspondents of the corporate media, Russia \u201cfailed to achieve\u201d its presumed military objectives of \u201cransacking the capital Kyiv\u201d and \u201coverrunning the whole territory\u201d of the embattled country, and that the \u201cbotched invasion\u201d was thwarted by the \u201cvaliant Ukrainian resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">In line with this illusory narrative of the war, the mainstream media is abuzz with fabricated reports, citing \u201ccredible Western intelligence,\u201d that President Putin was supposedly \u201cmisled by Russia\u2019s military leadership,\u201d and tensions over the military\u2019s alleged \u201csetbacks have strained ties and created a rift\u201d between the Russian strongman and his military.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/putin-advisers-too-afraid-tell-him-truth-ukraine-us-official-2022-03-30\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">told reporters<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">\u201cWe believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing, and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth,\u201d Bedingfield said, without providing details on the evidence behind the assessment.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">\u201cIt is increasingly clear that Putin\u2019s war has been a strategic blunder that has left Russia weaker over the long-term, and increasingly isolated on the world stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Speaking in Algiers, Secretary of State <strong>Antony Blinken<\/strong> acknowledged Putin had been given \u201cless than truthful information\u201d from his advisers.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">\u201cWith regard to President Putin, look, what I can tell you is this, and I said this before, one of the Achilles\u2019 heels of autocracies is that you don\u2019t have people in those systems who speak truth to power or who have the ability to speak truth to power,\u201d Mr. Blinken said. \u201cAnd I think that is something that we\u2019re seeing in Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">In a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the Defense Department believed that Putin has not had access to an accurate account of his \u201carmy\u2019s failures\u201d in Ukraine. \u201cWe would concur with the conclusion that Mr. Putin has not been fully informed by his Ministry of Defense, at every turn over the last month,\u201d Kirby said.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">\u201cIf Mr. Putin is misinformed or uninformed about what\u2019s going on inside Ukraine, it\u2019s his military, it\u2019s his war, he chose it,\u201d Pentagon spokesman said. \u201cAnd so the fact that he may not have all the context \u2014 that he may not fully understand the degree to which his forces are failing in Ukraine, that\u2019s a little discomforting, to be honest with you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Other American officials, as reported in the mainstream media, have said that Putin\u2019s rigid isolation during the pandemic and willingness to publicly rebuke advisers who do not share his views have created a degree of wariness, or even fear, in senior ranks of the Russian military. Officials believe that Putin has been getting incomplete or overly optimistic reports about the progress of Russian forces, creating mistrust with his military advisers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/03\/30\/world\/europe\/putin-advisers-ukraine.html\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">The New York Times reported<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">\u201cThe Russian military\u2019s stumbles have eroded trust between Mr. Putin and his Ministry of Defense. While Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had been considered one of the few advisers Mr. Putin confided in, the prosecution of the war in Ukraine has damaged the relationship. Mr. Putin has put two top intelligence officials under house arrest for providing poor intelligence ahead of the invasion, something that may have further contributed to the climate of fear.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">It\u2019s worth pointing out that these misleading news reports are based on declassified Western intelligence. But a question would naturally arise in the minds of perceptive readers that why the intelligence reports are being leaked to news organizations now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/putin-advisers-too-afraid-tell-him-truth-ukraine-us-official-2022-03-30\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Reuters report<\/a> offers a glimpse into the malicious motive for declassifying the intelligence now after Russia has wrapped up its military campaign in Ukraine and claimed victory in achieving security objectives of the intervention: the liberation of Donbas and denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">\u201cWashington\u2019s decision to share its intelligence more publicly reflects a strategy it has pursued since before the war began. In this case, it could also complicate Putin\u2019s calculations, a U.S. official said, adding, \u2018It\u2019s potentially useful. Does it sow dissension in the ranks? It could make Putin reconsider whom he can trust.\u2019<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">\u201cThere were no indications at the moment that the situation could foster a revolt among the Russian military, but the situation was unpredictable and Western powers would hope that unhappy people would speak up, a senior European diplomat said. Military analysts say Russia has reframed its war goals in Ukraine in a way that may make it easier for Putin to claim a face-saving victory despite a woeful campaign in which his army has suffered humiliating setbacks.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">All the media hype in order to misguide gullible audiences on the eve of impending Russian troop withdrawal from Ukraine aside, the fact remains it\u2019s old wine in new bottles. The intelligence wasn\u2019t declassified now, it was declassified three weeks ago, but nobody paid much attention to the asinine assertion of an alleged rift between Putin and the Russian military leadership.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/03\/08\/putin-is-angry-u-s-intel-heads-warn-russia-could-double-down-in-ukraine-00015177\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0Politico reported<\/a> as early as March 8, in an article titled \u201cPutin is angry,\u201d that the US intelligence heads warned before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence during the panel\u2019s annual hearing on worldwide threats that Russia could \u201cdouble down\u201d in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">The remarks by Director National Intelligence Avril Haines and four fellow intelligence agency leaders \u2014 Defense Intelligence Agency Director Scott Berrier, CIA Director William Burns, National Security Agency Director Paul Nakasone and FBI Director Christopher Wray \u2014 represented some of the most candid assessments of Moscow\u2019s thinking by US officials since the start of the security crisis in late January.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">\u201cAlthough it still remains unclear whether Russia will pursue a maximalist plan to capture all or most of Ukraine, Haines said, such an effort would run up against what the U.S. intelligence community assesses is likely to be a persistent and significant insurgency by Ukrainian forces.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Clearly, DNI Avril Haines spilled the secret before the House Select Committee on Intelligence that the US intelligence was in dark whether the Russian forces would overrun the whole of Ukraine, or the Russian blitz north of the capital was only a diversionary tactic meant for tying up Ukrainian forces in the north, while Russia concentrated its efforts in liberating Donbas in the east.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">\u201cBurns, the CIA director, portrayed for lawmakers an isolated and indignant Russian president who is determined to dominate and control Ukraine to shape its orientation. Putin has been \u2018stewing in a combustible combination of grievance and ambition for many years. That personal conviction matters more than ever,\u2019 Burns said.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">\u201cBurns also described how Putin had created a system within the Kremlin in which his own circle of advisers is narrower and narrower \u2014 and sparser still because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In that hierarchy, Burns said, \u2018it\u2019s proven not career-enhancing for people to question or challenge his judgment.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"yiv6715885766MsoNormal\">Read the academic-cum-diplomat CIA Director William Burns\u2019 \u201ccandid assessments\u201d psychoanalyzing Putin\u2019s mental state amidst the war and the pandemic from early March alongside the recently plagiarized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/03\/30\/world\/europe\/putin-advisers-ukraine.html\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">New York Times<\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/putin-advisers-too-afraid-tell-him-truth-ukraine-us-official-2022-03-30\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Reuters reports<\/a> asserting that \u201cPutin\u2019s rigid isolation during the pandemic\u201d made him surround himself with \u201cyes-men too afraid to tell him the truth\u201d and consequently he rushed to invade Ukraine to figure out the malicious motive of insidious smear campaign against the Russian peacemaker on the eve of the Russian troop withdrawal from Ukraine as pledged by the Kremlin delegation during the Istanbul peace initiative to Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p><em>_________________________________________<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Michel-Chossudovsky.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-143077\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Michel-Chossudovsky.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a>Michel Chossudovsky is an award-winning author, Professor of Economics (emeritus) at the University of Ottawa, Founder and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), Montreal, Editor of Global Research.\u00a0 He has taught as visiting professor in Western Europe, Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Latin America. He has served as economic adviser to governments of developing countries and has acted as a consultant for several international organizations. He is the author of eleven books including <\/em>The Globalization of Poverty and The New World Order\u00a0(<em>2003<\/em>),\u00a0America\u2019s \u201cWar on Terrorism\u201d\u00a0(<em>2005<\/em>),\u00a0The Global Economic Crisis, The Great Depression of the Twenty-first Century\u00a0(<em>2009<\/em>) (<em>Editor<\/em>),\u00a0Towards a World War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War\u00a0(<em>2011<\/em>), The Globalization of War, America&#8217;s Long War against Humanity (<em>2015<\/em>). <em>He is a contributor to the<\/em> Encyclopaedia Britannica.\u00a0 <em>His writings have been published in more than twenty languages.\u00a0In 2014, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit of the Republic of Serbia for his writings on NATO&#8217;s war of aggression against Yugoslavia. He can be reached at <\/em><a href=\"mailto:crgeditor@yahoo.com\"><em>crgeditor@yahoo.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Nauman Sadiq is an Islamabad-based geopolitical and national security analyst focused on geo-strategic affairs and hybrid warfare in the Af-Pak and Middle East regions. His domains of expertise include neocolonialism, military-industrial complex and petro-imperialism.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/is-peace-on-the-horizon-russia-wraps-up-military-operation-in-ukraine\/5776082\" >Go to Original \u2013 globalresearch.ca<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>8 Dec 2023 &#8211;\u00a0The End Game is the Destruction and Privatization of Ukraine &#8211; Ukrainian negotiators would agree not to join alliances or host bases of foreign troops. The proposals would require a referendum in Ukraine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":250186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2999],"tags":[2197,680,1268,253,278,639,961,124,70,2810,1594],"class_list":["post-250184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-war-racket-destruction-capitalism","tag-biden","tag-conflict-resolution","tag-european-union","tag-putin","tag-russia","tag-uk","tag-ukraine","tag-united-nations","tag-usa","tag-volodymyr-zelenskyy","tag-war-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=250184"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":250188,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250184\/revisions\/250188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/250186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=250184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=250184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=250184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}