All news

US appetite for European market responsible for Ukrainian crisis - experts

ZAMYATINA Tamara 
The Ukrainian crisis broke out because of US wishes to devour European markets by ousting competitors

MOSCOW, June 18. /ITAR-TASS/. The Ukrainian crisis broke out because of US wishes to devour European markets by ousting competitors - Russia and China, says President of Neokon consultants Mikhail Khazin.

The European Union market is optimal for the US, and Washington would not yield it neither to Russia or China, nor to EU powerhouse Germany, the economist told the Free Thought intellectual club. This, he believes, is confirmed by revelations made by former CIA contractor Edward Snowden, who disclosed information on US intelligence services bugging German politicians' cell phones, including Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“It is no accident in the US proposal to the EU makes Europe a free trade zone. Then the EU countries will be deindustrialized as production costs are higher in Europe than in the US,” Khazin said. “Over time, the European market, according to Washington’s design, should become the market for US goods.”

The US “has revised its energy strategy and is going to export shale gas to Europe,” the expert added. “Since it is more expensive than Russian natural gas, Washington seeks to limit or altogether stop Russian gas supplies to Europe,” he said. This, Khazin believes, is the reason for Kiev’s stubbornness in the gas conflict with Russia, forcing Gazprom to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine on June 16 until Ukraine pays for the already supplied gas.

US shale gas plans also explained the interference of certain US politicians, including Ambassador to Bulgaria Marcie Ries and Senator John McCain, into talks on the future of the South Stream pipeline between Russia and the EU, he added.

“Washington’s global economic aim is to destroy and devour the European Union consumer market to harm Russia and China, as the latter is set to become world leader this year and challenge the US,” Khazin said.

The economist recalled former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s visit to Beijing immediately after his trip to Vilnius for the EU Association Agreement signing last November. Yanukovych had agreed with China on deepwater port construction in Crimea in advance. The project would attract about $12 billion of investment and about two million Chinese workers. This was Beijing’s plan on how to lay a new Silk Road to Europe that faced persistent US resistance, Khazin said.

“Washington did not want to see China taking the European sales market and Russia’s strengthening position as energy supplier to Europe via the South Stream pipeline. Hence the US politicians’ eagerness in Kiev and their numerous visits to the Maidan at the time of protests by EU integration supporters. It is the US that deprived Yanukovych of the presidential post to sweep into power pro-American politicians,” the expert believes.

The US is keen to take a tighter grip on the Ukrainian energy sector, and the new government in Kiev is eager to help it do so. On Tuesday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced that the country’s gas transportation system was being handed over to US and European partners. Moreover, US Vice-President Joe Biden’s son is now a board director at the Ukrainian private oil and gas company Burisma.

Professor Daisuke Kotegawa, former executive director for Japan at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), shares Khazin’s view, “As a specialist in settlement of major financial crises, I can say that the political crisis in Ukraine is hugely influenced by global financial instability and uncertainty among the US establishment patronizing Ukraine about its position in the world.”

Mikhail Delyagin, director of the Institute for Globalization Problems, says “the US purposefully destabilized the situation in the Middle East during the Arab Spring”.

“This time, Washington provoked political crisis in Ukraine. Russia can be its next target. The chief US strategic goal in the context of these destructive actions is to instill fear and drive global financial speculators’ money into US securities to keep the national economy afloat,” the expert said.

 

ITAR-TASS may not share the opinions of its contributors

TASS may not share the opinions of its contributors