the Center for Syncretic Studies<\/a>\u00a0. \u00a0Although Flores spoke in English,\u00a0following his presentation was\u00a0easy thanks to the excellent simultaneous translation of Novak Draskovic. At the beginning of the presentation,\u00a0Flores pointed out that the so-called and long used\u00a0methods of nonviolent resistance was developed by the American analyst\u00a0Gene Sharp, whose method is applied by\u00a0Srdja Popovic, infamous for his work in Serbia since 5th October, 2000, and then in a number of countries, including Ukraine.<\/span><\/p>\nThe focus of Flores\u2019 presentation was on\u00a0the interests and activities of the United States in Ukraine and the implications of these events on the political prospects in Serbia.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nFor the last 150 years there is a tendency that the European and Russian space merge into a single geopolitical space of Eurasia. \u00a0Great Britain and then the United States, following the key vectors of its geopolitics, created\u00a0conflicts between the most powerful continental powers from which it itself profited. \u00a0US benefited in many ways when they convinced European countries to impose sanctions on Russia. One, according to Flores, was to expect a strong Russian response that would be an even bigger\u00a0strain on Russian-European relations. \u00a0However, the US-European pressure which followed actually failed\u00a0\u00a0to challenge Russia\u2019s counteraction,\u00a0and in time Russia has managed to avoid the trap that the US had\u00a0prepared.<\/span><\/p>\nThe mere regime change in Kiev is not the main goal of the United States. According Flores, the US and Russia are both\u00a0clear that regardless of the nature of government in Kiev and regardless of its rhetoric, it will have to, sooner or later, negotiate with Moscow. \u00a0The only chance for the US is that it maintains a constant conflict in Ukraine. The aim of this conflict is permanent destruction of the Ukrainian economy and society. A similar aim is\u00a0in the current civil war in Syria \u2013 that a nation turns into unsuccessful and unstable territory (a failed state) that would destabilize the entire region.<\/span><\/p>\nFlores said that the Serbs were in a good position to understand what is going on because they have a wealth of experience in the color revolutions and US special operations. In this sense, Serbia with\u00a0the correct policy can be the center of the western Balkans in opposition to NATO. \u00a0Flores concluded that at this point it is important that in Serbia to elect a parliament and with\u00a0those and other forces, can put pressure on the government to resist NATO, and later in perspective, the European integration. The situation is moving in a different direction and we believe that NATO empire is about to collapse, underlined Flores. After this very meaningful and provocative presentation was followed by a brief discussion and Q&A session of interesting topics related to the Ukraine and the political situation in Serbia.<\/span><\/p>\nThe third speaker at the forum was\u00a0Dragana Trifkovic<\/b>\u00a0, president of the Center for Strategic Alternatives and a member of the Political Council of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). Dragana Trifkovic was also an observer at the elections in Donetsk and Lugansk Republic in November last year, and in connection with the situation in Ukraine and especially the Federal State of Novorossiya has published a number of articles, interviews, and comments.<\/span><\/p>\nThis presentation was\u00a0mainly related to the current situation in the Federal State of Novorossiya, the prospects for its survival and political construction, but also in the development of the situation in Ukraine in general and especially in the Federal State of Novorossiya. Trifkovic at the very beginning of her presentation pointed out that the development of the situation in the Federal State of Novorossiya and in this regard, the strengthening of Russia\u2019s position, is of primary interest for Serbia. In fact, she says, Serbia is occupied and so\u00a0there is no capacity to defend and liberate from foreign occupation, and its\u00a0only hope is the eventual strengthening of Russia, and this is contextualized\u00a0in the conflict in Ukraine in which it must come out the victor.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nTrifkovic, in her speech,\u00a0gave\u00a0direct accounts gathered during her stay in Lugansk as this presentation gave an exclusive. Specifically, with astonishment pointed out that the residents there knew very little about the experience of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, although these events are in many ways close to what is happening now in the Federal State of Novorossiya.<\/span><\/p>\nThe open military conflict began after Euromajdan, a pretext in Kiev was Yanukovych\u2019s refusal to sign a closer integration with the EU. \u00a0Military operations began by Tur\u010dinov, then acting as interim president, at a time when the cities in the east of the country began protests. The crime in Odessa, which took place on May 2, and which was\u00a0carried out by extremists,\u00a0by and large from the right,\u00a0was an important trigger for the outbreak of conflict in the country. \u00a0In this bestial crime the extremists of the right sector, hooligans from various Ukrainian cities, members of various paramilitary groups and parasecurity\u00a0services, routed\u00a0youngsters who collected signatures for the federalization of States into a building and then set fire to that building in which they\u00a0had taken refuge. The aim was to discourage all those who were willing to fight for their political rights.<\/span><\/p>\nHowever, this incident had accelerated the political developments in the east of the country \u2013 were organized referendums in Donetsk and Lugansk where the vast majority of citizens opted not to recognize the competence of the authorities in Kiev. In November, the two most important center of resistance to the Kiev authorities organized and conducted elections.<\/span><\/p>\nIn June, July and August the\u00a0fiercest fighting was conducted. \u00a0Kiev government has carried out indiscriminate attacks on populated areas. During the height of the conflict almost the entire population moved out of the cities. This was followed by the reorganization of pro-Russian forces and powerful counteroffensive, which has\u00a0almost completely blunted the offensive capacity of the Ukrainian power. The Ukrainian authorities have stopped paying salaries and pensions and the supply and survival of the population in these areas is largely dependent on Russian help. Fortunately, during these conflicts the Ukrainian air force was almost completely destroyed and therefore thrown out of the matrix is 60-70% of Ukrainian armies warfare tactics.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nUntil recently in the Federal State of Novorossiya, maintained the fragile truce founded on the agreements reached at the meeting in Minsk. As a basis for dialogue, sthe Law on the special status of Donetsk and Lugansk Republics was signed and thus it was agreed the suspension of hostilities. \u00a0In the elections that were held in November in Lugansk and Donetsk\u00a0Republics were more outside observers, including those from the United States and the European Parliament. According to the testimony of Dragana Trifkovic who\u00a0herself participated in the supervision of elections, the elections were held without incident. From contacts with local people she gained the impression that these elections represented for them hope for a better future and a chance to secure their political rights.<\/span><\/p>\nTrifkovic concluded her presentation by pointing out in the current situation in the Federal State of Novorossiya \u2013 two months after the end of the election were renewed fighting (which continued the previous day) \u2013 \u00a0the Ukrainian authorities are conducting a fourth round of mobilization that includes taxpayers and the oldest ages. \u00a0<\/span>Efforts to resolve the conflict with additional forces suggests that it is unlikely to conclude, and that it may become a frozen conflict, and that it may take more years to resolve.<\/span><\/p>\nIn the discussion that followed the debate turned to the audience. with closely monitored developments in the Federal State of Novorossiya, so it was very meaningful and we\u00a0believe it has helped to create better\u00a0understanding of how events in the Federal State of Novorossiya, and the implications of these developments\u00a0in the political position of Serbia. We hope that in the future there will be organized a new discussions on various topical issues, such as it was last Saturday in Sremska Mitrovica, into an interesting political discussion.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n