"The US gives money only to two countries: to Israel and to Egypt as long as Egypt enables Israel's blockade and persecution of Palestinians.

"The EU gives money to no one, not even to its poorest existing members such as Greece.  The EU gives Greece loans so that Greece can pay back loans from private banks.  However, in order to get the EU loans, Greece had to agreeto cutting government-paid pensions and social services and to selling off at low prices publicly owned assets to private capitalists.

"The IMF gives money to no one. The IMF makes loans to governments that agree to impose austerity programs on citizens in order to pay back private banks.

"Today on my website I posted a song just released by a Hungarian rock group about the devastation of Hungarythat resulted from EU membership and IMF loans.

"Ukraine's economy is naturally integrated into the economy of Russia. If Ukraine joins the EU, it will lose the benefits ofthis integration in addition to being looted by Western bankers and corporations. 

"As Russia had already agreed to rescue the Ukrainian bonds and economy, the overthrow by Washington of the Ukrainian government for refusing to join the EU, which, of course, means NATO as well, was not related to Ukraine's economic predicament.

"Washington brought down the Ukraine government in order to weaken Russia and make Russia less able to resistWashington's hegemony over the world.  The only open question is whether Washington worked with the neo-nazis as well as with the so-called moderates, or whether Washington was caught off guard by the Right Sector and has lostcontrol of the coup. 

"If the latter, then Ukraine's economy will also suffer from war and dislocation. The ultra-nationalists are already striking out against the Russian populations in Ukraine. These are people with the right to Russian citizenship.  Ifthey request citizenship, Russia will have to grant citizenship and protect its citizens.

"The purposes of the coup in Ukraine are to deprive Russia of its naval base on the Black Sea, to cut Russia off frommilitary industries in Ukraine, and to establish US missile bases in Ukraine that degrade Russia's nuclear deterrent and render Russia unable to resist Washington's will.

"Ukrainian economics has nothing whatsoever to do with the situation that Washington has brought about. To thinkthat the issue is money for Ukraine is to stick one's head in the sand like an ostrich.

"An aggressive and reckless Washington has brought a direct strategic threat to Russia herself. 

"There are three possible outcomes.  Russia will submit. Washington will back."

Paul Craig Roberts