Russia's Yakunin Blasts "Global Financial Oligarchy" on Ukrainian Crisis (original) (raw)

In an interview with the Financial Times, Russian Railways head and Putin's close ally Vladimir Yakunin has blasted the "global financial oligarchy" for orchestrating the coup and the crisis in Ukraine, as part of an effort to "destroy" Russia.

"A close ally of Vladimir Putin has accused the U.S. and a 'global financial oligarchy' of organizing the overthrow of power in Ukraine to 'destroy' Russia as a geopolitical opponent," the London-based Financial Times wrote today.

"We are witnessing a huge geopolitical game of which the aim is the destruction of Russia as a geopolitical opponent of the U.S. or of this global financial oligarchy," Yakunin told the FT. "A CIA analysis... described three possible scenarios for the development of the geopolitical situation. The most acceptable scenario was considered to be one in which a certain world government is created — and the realization of this project is in line with the concept of global domination that is being carried out by the U.S. We saw this in Iraq, we saw it in Afghanistan, we saw it in Yugoslavia and in North Africa. Today, the borders of carrying out this doctrine have moved to Ukraine."

After describing Yakunin's as part of the "hardliners" in Putin's security establishment, the FT quotes him saying that Putin's request to the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, for approving the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine, had given Western leaders "a cold shower." This should lead them to step back from backing the "armed fighters" who had sparked the shooting on the Maidan. The West must now help to ensure democratic elections in Ukraine to create "legitimate organs of power without the participation of armed men and fascist elements."

However, elections on May 25 is too early to ensure a truly democratic process. "The blood on the asphalt is not yet even dry. It would be great if this cold shower that Mr. Putin sent to western leaders — I mean U.S. politicians — had its effect and they understood it is not decent to stamp around in your boots in someone else's house."

Yakunin accuses the West of betraying assurances given to Moscow in 1990 that NATO would not expand eastwards. "If you look at things objectively, [then German Chancellor Helmut] Kohl swore to Gorbachov that the exit of Soviet troops from Germany would not lead to NATO's approach towards Russia's borders. But in reality everything that has happened is the exact opposite. Today I heard that NATO intends to more than double the contingent of fighter jets patrolling the territory of Baltic states. It seems to me this looks fairly comic, but is in fact pathetic and disgusting."