UK Commits Extra Military Forces to Ukraine: Irresponsible Policy, Dangerous Repercussions

• UK Commits Extra Military Forces to Ukraine: Irresponsible Policy, Dangerous Repercussions
  by Arkady Savitsky, Strategic Culture Foundation, via https://www.globalresearch.ca/
  GR Editor’s note
  This carefully researched article by Arkady Savitsky first published on November 24, (one day before the Kerch Strait Incident) outlines with foresight Britain’s so-called  “hydrographic survey” in the Black Sea which is slated to be carried out as of early next year. The stated objective is to:
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  “to demonstrate Britain’s support for Ukraine and ensure “freedom of navigation”.
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  In this regard, the Kerch Strait Incident acts as a pretext in support of an ongoing military project. In all likelihood it will be used to  “justify” US-UK-NATO deployments in the Black Sea Basin.
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  Is the Kerchen Incident part of a broader US-NATO “Responsibility to Protect (R2P) plan to “militarize the Black Sea”? According to Arkady Savitsky:
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  In September, Great Britain made known it planned to increase the warships’ presence in the Black Sea next year with increasingly frequent port calls to Odessa.
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  Ukraine’s government is ramping up tensions because President Petro Poroshenko is running for re-election in March 2019 on a national security platform. So he takes a tougher line on Azov. Those who rush to provide him with military assistance become accomplices in his adventurist actions that could have disastrous consequences.
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  The UK will bear responsibility for goading Kiev into taking a confrontational approach and turning the Azov Sea into a flashpoint that can spark at any minute.
  – Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, November 27, 2018
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  Ukraine’s Constitutional Court green-lighted a bill on amending the country’s main law by enshrining into it the final goal of obtaining NATO and EU membership. The decision was announced the next day after the UK and Ukraine’s defense ministries made a joint statement, stressing the need to expand military cooperation. The defense chiefs agreed that Operation Orbital, the Army training program started in 2015, was a success to be continued at least till 2020. Instructors from the British Army, most of who have significant experience in participating in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, have trained over 9,500 Ukrainian servicemen. An unspecified number of UK soldiers would be sent to train Ukrainian special forces and marines, in addition to the 100 personnel deployed currently in the country.
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  A multi-role hydrographic survey ship will be deployed in the Black Sea next year to demonstrate Britain’s support for Ukraine and ensure “freedom of navigation”. HMS Echo is not a warship but it flies the naval ensign. In September, Great Britain made known it planned to increase the warships’ presence in the Black Sea next year with increasingly frequent port calls to Odessa.
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  READ MORE: Washington Approves Military Assistance to Ukraine After US-Russia Helsinki Summit
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  NATO naval presence there is seen as provocative by Russia amid increasing tensions in the Azov Sea. A conflict appears to be imminent and the West has taken the side of Ukraine despite the fact that it was Kiev who has been provoking it. EU High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini believes many vessels flying European Union flags were threatened to make Brussels consider “appropriate targeted measures” to be taken as a signal to Moscow.
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  read more.

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