Russia's Elections: "No Question" US is Backing Opposition
Saturday was a day for demonstrations in Russia. Over two hundred thousand people gathered across the country to voice their political views ahead of next month's presidential election. Two of the largest rallies took place in the capital with supporters and opponents of the current leadership braving the bitter cold to have their say. It was the third, and biggest, opposition gathering after the Parliamentary vote two months ago which protesters claimed was rigged. Now their main demand is for a fair presidential vote in March.
Author and researcher F. William Engdahl says the West is funding the Russian opposition to minimise the country's influence on the world stage during a critical time.
Washington is "financing activists in several different cities in Russia, people like famous blogger Aleksey Navalny.” Engdahl believes that by backing the opposition, Washington is trying to establish control over Moscow. “They are using the same template they used in Ukraine's Orange Revolution, and in Georgia to bring Saakashvilli to power as a pro-NATO president in that country,” he explained.
Engdahl named some people he thinks Washington would like to see ruling Russia. “The cast of opposition people that they are financing and backing… Nemtsov, Navalny and so forth, these are all people who sold their souls to Washington for one price or another.”
“Their expectation is to create as much unrest in Russia as possible to destruct the prospective Putin presidency,” he added.
However, the writer is certain that this strategy will not work in Russia. “The point is, US interference in internal Russian election affairs is something that ought not to be tolerated,” he said.
Source @GRTV
