""During their second day of discussions in the resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the German Alps on Monday, the leaders of the major imperialist powers affirmed their commitment to a policy of escalating strategic and military pressure against Russia.
“We need to keep pushing Russia,” Obama said. “Russian forces continue to operate in eastern Ukraine, violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“The G7 is making it clear that if necessary we stand ready to impose additional significant sanctions against Russia,” Obama declared.
An official communiqué released by the G7 powers—the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and Canada—reaffirmed Obama’s anti-Russia comments. It warned that the assembled powers would devise “further restrictive measures in order to increase cost on Russia.”
The hypocrisy and recklessness of Obama and his G7 counterparts is breathtaking. They are denouncing Russian “aggression” in Ukraine, which they plunged into civil war by backing a fascist-led putsch last year that toppled a pro-Russian government. Now, US and NATO armed forces are conducting air, sea and ground exercises all along Russia’s borders. In Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea, the US and its allies are rehearsing the opening stages of an all-out war with Russia.
Last week, US defense officials testifying before the US House of Representatives indicated that the Pentagon is considering launching pre-emptive strikes against Russian targets, including with nuclear weapons (see: US officials consider nuclear strikes against Russia). These statements are no doubt now being carefully studied by the Russian military.
NATO’s recently-formed Rapid Response Force, which has been assembled to serve as the spearhead of a NATO ground war against Russian forces, is set to conduct military exercises in Poland starting today. The so-called “Baltops” exercises are to involve thousands of US-NATO troops and will take place simultaneously in Sweden, Germany and the Baltic Sea.
A quarter century after the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the “Cold War,” Washington is preparing new forward-deployments of its nuclear arsenal to Europe. In an interview with the BBC given the preceding day, British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond made clear that plans for new US nuclear deployments to Europe are far advanced.
Hammond told the BBC Sunday that Britain may soon withdraw from the INF treaty, clearing the way for Britain to serve as a staging area for an American nuclear build-up against Russia, just as it did prior to 1991, when US nuclear weapons were stationed at the Royal Air Force’s Greenham Common base.
“There have been some worrying signs of stepping up levels of activity both by Russian forces and by Russian-controlled separatist forces,” Hammond said. “We have got to send a clear signal to Russia that we will not allow them to transgress our red lines.”
The US and European ruling elites’ strategy of endlessly bullying Russia by threatening it with war and nuclear strikes poses immense dangers to the world’s population. Even assuming that the ruling elites of the NATO powers are not immediately seeking to provoke outright war with Russia, the constant drumbeat of NATO threats and military exercises immensely heightens the danger of war breaking out accidentally.
With thousands of jet fighters, warships, and armored units on heightened alert throughout the region, the world is only a few miscalculations away from a clash between NATO and Russian forces that could rapidly escalate into war.
The immense dangers posed to the world’s population arising from the US and NATO war drive against Russia are being hidden from masses of workers in the United States and worldwide. No one in the official media is asking how many people would die if the military maneuvers being practiced by Russian and NATO forces in their exercises turned into the real thing. Instead, much of the media coverage of the G7 summit focused on controversy over whether Obama was drinking alcohol-free beer yesterday.
The relentless military escalation at this G7 summit testifies to the breakdown and historic bankruptcy of capitalism. Without the unification and mobilization of the international working class in revolutionary struggle against imperialism and war, it is not only likely, but inevitable, that NATO war threats will at some point unleash all-out war.
Russian leaders have already warned that they are on alert for signs of an imminent first strike by NATO and are holding Russian nuclear forces ready to respond to such an attack, should it come (see:Russian President Putin says Ukraine crisis threatens nuclear war).""
Bilderberg Meeting Attendees:
2015 Conference June 11-14 in Austria
Bilderberg Meetings
63rd Bilderberg conference to take place from 11 - 14 June 2015 in Telfs-Buchen, Austria.""Telfs-Buchen, 8 June 2015 - The 63rd Bilderberg conference is set to take place from 11 - 14 June 2015 in Telfs-Buchen, Austria. A total of around 140 participants from 22 countries have confirmed their attendance. As ever, a diverse group of political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media have been invited. The list of participants is available on www.bilderbergmeetings.org
The key topics for discussion this year include:
The key topics for discussion this year include:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cybersecurity
- Chemical Weapons Threats
- Current Economic Issues
- European Strategy
- Globalisation
- Greece
- Iran
- Middle East
- NATO
- Russia
- Terrorism
- United Kingdom
- USA
- US Elections
Founded in 1954, the Bilderberg conference is an annual meeting designed to foster dialogue between Europe and North America. Every year, between 120-150 political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media are invited to take part in the conference. About two thirds of the participants come from Europe and the rest from North America; approximately one third from politics and government and the rest from other fields.
The conference is a forum for informal discussions about major issues facing the world. The meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule, which states that participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s) nor of any other participant may be revealed.
Thanks to the private nature of the conference, the participants are not bound by the conventions of their office or by pre-agreed positions. As such, they can take time to listen, reflect and gather insights. There is no desired outcome, no minutes are taken and no report is written. Furthermore, no resolutions are proposed, no votes are taken, and no policy statements are issued.""
Final list of Participants
Chairman
| Castries, Henri de | Chairman and CEO, AXA Group | FRA |
| Achleitner, Paul M. | Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Deutsche Bank AG | DEU |
| Agius, Marcus | Non-Executive Chairman, PA Consulting Group | GBR |
| Ahrenkiel, Thomas | Director, Danish Intelligence Service (DDIS) | DNK |
| Allen, John R. | Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, US Department of State | USA |
| Altman, Roger C. | Executive Chairman, Evercore | USA |
| Applebaum, Anne | Director of Transitions Forum, Legatum Institute | USA |
| Apunen, Matti | Director, Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA | FIN |
| Baird, Zoë | CEO and President, Markle Foundation | USA |
| Balls, Edward M. | Former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer | GBR |
| Balsemão, Francisco Pinto | Chairman, Impresa SGPS | PRT |
| Barroso, José M. Durão | Former President of the European Commission | PRT |
| Baverez, Nicolas | Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP | FRA |
| Benko, René | Founder, SIGNA Holding GmbH | AUT |
| Bernabè, Franco | Chairman, FB Group SRL | ITA |
| Beurden, Ben van | CEO, Royal Dutch Shell plc | NLD |
| Bigorgne, Laurent | Director, Institut Montaigne | FRA |
| Boone, Laurence | Special Adviser on Financial and Economic Affairs to the President | FRA |
| Botín, Ana P. | Chairman, Banco Santander | ESP |
| Brandtzæg, Svein Richard | President and CEO, Norsk Hydro ASA | NOR |
| Bronner, Oscar | Publisher, Standard Verlagsgesellschaft | AUT |
| Burns, William | President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | USA |
| Calvar, Patrick | Director General, DGSI | FRA |
| Castries, Henri de | Chairman, Bilderberg Meetings; Chairman and CEO, AXA Group | FRA |
| Cebrián, Juan Luis | Executive Chairman, Grupo PRISA | ESP |
| Clark, W. Edmund | Retired Executive, TD Bank Group | CAN |
| Coeuré, Benoît | Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank | INT |
| Coyne, Andrew | Editor, Editorials and Comment, National Post | CAN |
| Damberg, Mikael L. | Minister for Enterprise and Innovation | SWE |
| De Gucht, Karel | Former EU Trade Commissioner, State Minister | BEL |
| Dijsselbloem, Jeroen | Minister of Finance | NLD |
| Donilon, Thomas E. | Former U.S. National Security Advisor; Partner and Vice Chair, O'Melveny & Myers LLP | USA |
| Döpfner, Mathias | CEO, Axel Springer SE | DEU |
| Dowling, Ann | President, Royal Academy of Engineering | GBR |
| Dugan, Regina | Vice President for Engineering, Advanced Technology and Projects, Google | USA |
| Eilertsen, Trine | Political Editor, Aftenposten | NOR |
| Eldrup, Merete | CEO, TV 2 Danmark A/S | DNK |
| Elkann, John | Chairman and CEO, EXOR; Chairman, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles | ITA |
| Enders, Thomas | CEO, Airbus Group | DEU |
| Erdoes, Mary | CEO, JP Morgan Asset Management | USA |
| Fairhead, Rona | Chairman, BBC Trust | GBR |
| Federspiel, Ulrik | Executive Vice President, Haldor Topsøe A/S | DNK |
| Feldstein, Martin S. | President Emeritus, NBER; Professor of Economics, Harvard University | USA |
| Ferguson, Niall | Professor of History, Harvard University, Gunzberg Center for European Studies | USA |
| Fischer, Heinz | Federal President | AUT |
| Flint, Douglas J. | Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings plc | GBR |
| Franz, Christoph | Chairman of the Board, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd | CHE |
| Fresco, Louise O. | President and Chairman Executive Board, Wageningen University and Research Centre | NLD |
| Griffin, Kenneth | Founder and CEO, Citadel Investment Group, LLC | USA |
| Gruber, Lilli | Executive Editor and Anchor “Otto e mezzo”, La7 TV | ITA |
| Guriev, Sergei | Professor of Economics, Sciences Po | RUS |
| Gürkaynak, Gönenç | Managing Partner, ELIG Law Firm | TUR |
| Gusenbauer, Alfred | Former Chancellor of the Republic of Austria | AUT |
| Halberstadt, Victor | Professor of Economics, Leiden University | NLD |
| Hampel, Erich | Chairman, UniCredit Bank Austria AG | AUT |
| Hassabis, Demis | Vice President of Engineering, Google DeepMind | GBR |
| Hesoun, Wolfgang | CEO, Siemens Austria | AUT |
| Hildebrand, Philipp | Vice Chairman, BlackRock Inc. | CHE |
| Hoffman, Reid | Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, LinkedIn | USA |
| Ischinger, Wolfgang | Chairman, Munich Security Conference | INT |
| Jacobs, Kenneth M. | Chairman and CEO, Lazard | USA |
| Jäkel, Julia | CEO, Gruner + Jahr | DEU |
| Johnson, James A. | Chairman, Johnson Capital Partners | USA |
| Juppé, Alain | Mayor of Bordeaux, Former Prime Minister | FRA |
| Kaeser, Joe | President and CEO, Siemens AG | DEU |
| Karp, Alex | CEO, Palantir Technologies | USA |
| Kepel, Gilles | University Professor, Sciences Po | FRA |
| Kerr, John | Deputy Chairman, Scottish Power | GBR |
| Kesici, Ilhan | MP, Turkish Parliament | TUR |
| Kissinger, Henry A. | Chairman, Kissinger Associates, Inc. | USA |
| Kleinfeld, Klaus | Chairman and CEO, Alcoa | USA |
| Knot, Klaas H.W. | President, De Nederlandsche Bank | NLD |
| Koç, Mustafa V. | Chairman, Koç Holding A.S. | TUR |
| Kravis, Henry R. | Co-Chairman and Co-CEO, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. | USA |
| Kravis, Marie-Josée | Senior Fellow and Vice Chair, Hudson Institute | USA |
| Kudelski, André | Chairman and CEO, Kudelski Group | CHE |
| Lauk, Kurt | President, Globe Capital Partners | DEU |
| Lemne, Carola | CEO, The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise | SWE |
| Levey, Stuart | Chief Legal Officer, HSBC Holdings plc | USA |
| Leyen, Ursula von der | Minister of Defence | DEU |
| Leysen, Thomas | Chairman of the Board of Directors, KBC Group | BEL |
| Maher, Shiraz | Senior Research Fellow, ICSR, King's College London | GBR |
| Markus Lassen, Christina | Head of Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Security Policy and Stabilisation | DNK |
| Mathews, Jessica T. | Distinguished Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | USA |
| Mattis, James | Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University | USA |
| Maudet, Pierre | Vice-President of the State Council, Department of Security, Police and the Economy of Geneva | CHE |
| McKay, David I. | President and CEO, Royal Bank of Canada | CAN |
| Mert, Nuray | Columnist, Professor of Political Science, Istanbul University | TUR |
| Messina, Jim | CEO, The Messina Group | USA |
| Michel, Charles | Prime Minister | BEL |
| Micklethwait, John | Editor-in-Chief, Bloomberg LP | USA |
| Minton Beddoes, Zanny | Editor-in-Chief, The Economist | GBR |
| Monti, Mario | Senator-for-life; President, Bocconi University | ITA |
| Mörttinen, Leena | Executive Director, The Finnish Family Firms Association | FIN |
| Mundie, Craig J. | Principal, Mundie & Associates | USA |
| Munroe-Blum, Heather | Chairperson, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board | CAN |
| Netherlands, H.R.H. Princess Beatrix of the | NLD | |
| O'Leary, Michael | CEO, Ryanair Plc | IRL |
| Osborne, George | First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Exchequer | GBR |
| Özel, Soli | Columnist, Haberturk Newspaper; Senior Lecturer, Kadir Has University | TUR |
| Papalexopoulos, Dimitri | Group CEO, Titan Cement Co. | GRC |
| Pégard, Catherine | President, Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum and National Estate of Versailles | FRA |
| Perle, Richard N. | Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute | USA |
| Petraeus, David H. | Chairman, KKR Global Institute | USA |
| Pikrammenos, Panagiotis | Honorary President of The Hellenic Council of State | GRC |
| Reisman, Heather M. | Chair and CEO, Indigo Books & Music Inc. | CAN |
| Rocca, Gianfelice | Chairman, Techint Group | ITA |
| Roiss, Gerhard | CEO, OMV Austria | AUT |
| Rubin, Robert E. | Co Chair, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Secretary of the Treasury | USA |
| Rutte, Mark | Prime Minister | NLD |
| Sadjadpour, Karim | Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | USA |
| Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Pedro | Leader, Partido Socialista Obrero Español PSOE | ESP |
| Sawers, John | Chairman and Partner, Macro Advisory Partners | GBR |
| Sayek Böke, Selin | Vice President, Republican People’s Party | TUR |
| Schmidt, Eric E. | Executive Chairman, Google Inc. | USA |
| Scholten, Rudolf | CEO, Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG | AUT |
| Senard, Jean-Dominique | CEO, Michelin Group | FRA |
| Sevelda, Karl | CEO, Raiffeisen Bank International AG | AUT |
| Stoltenberg, Jens | Secretary General, NATO | INT |
| Stubb, Alexander | Ministers of Finance | FIN |
| Suder, Katrin | Deputy Minister of Defense | DEU |
| Sutherland, Peter D. | UN Special Representative; Chairman, Goldman Sachs International | IRL |
| Svanberg, Carl-Henric | Chairman, BP plc; Chairman, AB Volvo | SWE |
| Svarva, Olaug | CEO, The Government Pension Fund Norway | NOR |
| Thiel, Peter A. | President, Thiel Capital | USA |
| Tsoukalis, Loukas | President, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy | GRC |
| Üzümcü, Ahmet | Director-General, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons | INT |
| Vitorino, António M. | Partner, Cuetrecasas, Concalves Pereira, RL | PRT |
| Wallenberg, Jacob | Chairman, Investor AB | SWE |
| Weber, Vin | Partner, Mercury LLC | USA |
| Wolf, Martin H. | Chief Economics Commentator, The Financial Times | GBR |
| Wolfensohn, James D. | Chairman and CEO, Wolfensohn and Company | USA |
| Zoellick, Robert B. | Chairman, Board of International Advisors, The Goldman Sachs Group | USA |
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