US sanctions on Russia aimed at stirring ‘chaos’ in Ukraine
The United States initiated the crisis in Ukraine by spending billions of dollars to overthrow the elected government in Kiev last year, despite US propaganda that Russia is the aggressor, an American political activist says.
“The United States has been really doing its best to ratchet up conflict with Russia over Ukraine,” said Kevin Zeese, currently the co-director of It's Our Economy and an organizer with PopularResistance.org.
The conflict in Ukraine began after the Obama administration spent $5 billion to build up opposition to the democratically-elected government in Kiev and creating a coup, Zeese said Thursday in a phone interview with Press TV.
“This coup has led to divisions between Western Ukraine and Eastern Ukraine,” he added. “Amazingly, the United States propaganda [claims] that Russia is the aggressor.”
Relations between Washington and Moscow have been strained over the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department placed sanctions on a Russian bank and a dozen Ukrainian and Russian individuals. The sanctions freeze the assets of individuals and institutions held on US property and ban American citizens from doing business with them.
The United States and European Union have already imposed several rounds of financial sanctions against Moscow.
“These sanctions are part of a series of sanctions and they have so far not had the effect the United States has wanted,” Zeese said. “[US officials] want chaos and these sanctions are part of that.”
In fact, the sanctions on Russia have backfired, causing people there to rally around the government, increase support for President Vladimir Putin and highlight US intervention in the region, he noted.
AHT/HRJ
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