Russian reaction to the Ukraine crisis so far has been very restrained considering the level of ideologically driven strategic threat the US has brought to Russia’s borders, former member of the Reagan administration, Paul Craig Roberts, told RT.
RT:Ukraine’s deposed leader is claiming that Washington is breaking its own laws when offering money to the current authorities in Kiev. Does he have grounds for such claims?
Paul Craig Roberts: Of course, he is correct. The US has been lawless now for about four presidential terms. We don’t obey our laws, we don’t obey international laws, we torture people. The US is lawless. It does whatever it wants to do. I mean the government is lawless, Washington, the executive branch.
RT:Well if it has no credibility from your point of view, what do you make of the fact that US is supporting what Yanukovich said is a totally illegitimate government in Kiev?
PCR: They wanted to capture Ukraine for a long time. They tried in 2004 with the Orange Revolution and now they think they have it. They mainly wanted Ukraine in order to put missile bases all over Russia’s borders. And that is the main purpose.
RT:So Putin’s response has come as no surprise to you?
PCR: I think the Russian response has been very restrained considering the level of strategic threat that Washington has brought to Russia.
RT:And talking about the strategic threat, what do you make of NATO sending forces to Ukrainian borders? Is it helpful in this tense time?
PCR: The Americans are reckless. How many countries have they invaded? How many places are they carrying out violence as we speak? They want world hegemony. There’re three countries in the way – Russia, China and Iran.
And so they are going to do whatever they can to weaken those countries so they cannot stand up to Washington’s hegemony.
And Ukraine, that is what Ukraine is all about, everyone knows it’s a coup plot by the Americans – I mean by Washington, I don’t think the American people have a clue. And Washington’s money is behind the coup and that Washington is not paying attention to some of the unsavory elements that are participating in this new government, because all Washington wants are military bases in Ukraine in order to intimidate Russia and to degrade Russia’s military capabilities.
And that is what the whole thing is about. So it is dangerous because Washington is intent on exercising its hegemony over the world and so that is what you are faced with. This is a direct, ideologically driven, strategic threat to the sovereignty of Russia.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.