UKIP MEP Nathan Gill Weighs In To Defend Pro-Kremlin Media From Action By Ukrainian Parliament

Regular readers of EU Today will be aware that there have been many questions raised over the four years since Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian sovereign territory, Crimea, and the continuing Russian “backed” military activities in the Donbass region, concerning the involvement of individual Members of the European Parliament with Russian state controlled media.

Very famously, Nigel Farage of UKIP was once described by Russia Today (RT) as their favourite British politician. The feeling appeared somewhat mutual as in March 2014 Farage had described Putin as the world leader he most admires.

It was even rumoured at one point that he might be given his own show on the Kremlin controlled station.

Now another UKIP MEP has apparently succumbed to the flattery of the pro-Russian media, Nathan Gill, who sits in Farage’s political group in the European Parliament, the EFDD.

There is currently a controversy in Ukraine concerning two TV channels: 112 and News One because of the intention to close them down in response to their direct and clear pro-Russian and pro-Kremlin positions. 

A draft law on “Approval of recommendations to introduce personal special economic sanctions and other restrictive measures (sanctions)” on the two channels came into force earlier this month.

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament, stated that “there are systematic signs of imitation of discourse practices of Russian propaganda in the activities of a number of legal entities, permanent demonstration of propaganda and spreading of the ideology of terrorism”.  

These sanctions are to include, amongst other things, asset freezes on the two channels and their subsidiaries, and cancellation of their broadcasting licences.

The two channels are believed to be under the control of Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch and chairman of the pro-Russia political organisation Ukrainian Choice.  He is an opponent of Ukraine’s expressed desire for future membership of the EU, and was claimed by Newsweek to have been identified as a former Russian intelligence agent (23 Nov 2017). 

After one of his December 2013 meetings with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, it has been reported that Medvedchuk publicly promised to "deal with" pro-European protesters in Ukraine.

On 24 June 2014, the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic informed the OSCE that Medvedchuk was appointed their representative in the negotiations with the Ukrainian Government. He was to become one of the first to be placed on the US sanctions list following Russia’s Legal Annexation of Ukraine.

He was one of the mediators in the bidding process that gave Russia the right to host the 2018 World Cup, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is godfather of his daughter Darina, who was born in 2004.  

The Independent newspaper has referred to him as “Putin’s best friend in Ukraine” (Aug 30 2018), and in his book “All the Kremlin's Men: Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin” (2006) Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar claimed that Vladimir Putin believed that no question involving Ukraine could be solved without Viktor Medvedchuk.

"The fact that the channel (112) has gone under Medvedchuk's control is evidenced not only by connection with him of the new management. In the summer of 2018, the politician's 'presence' on 112 shows has grown significantly. A man behind the scenes of the Ukrainian politics, Medvedchuk does not personally give interviews, at least for the time being. But the channel's broadcast is full of his quotes, while statements of his political power make separate news.

UNIAN Information Agency (Ukraine) 21 August 2018

And so where does Nathan Gill enter into this narrative?

In fact, he weighed into the debate very shortly after being elected to the European Parliament in 2014 when on September 16th of that year he delivered a speech in Strasbourg telling fellow MEPs that the “EU-Ukraine Association Agreement is leading us into war”. When the European Parliament voted on this on the same day of Gill voted against the Agreement along with his UKIP colleagues.

On November 13th that same year he told MEPs in Brussels that the “EU-Moldova agreement risks deepening crisis in Ukraine”. 

On his website, on October 15th of this year, under the headline “Why Moldova should NOT join the EU” Gill writes “At the end of September 2018 I was invited to the Moldo-Russian Economic Forum held in Chisinau, Moldova. We discussed issues such as trade development, economic cooperation and membership of the European Union”.

This was the first such forum; next year’s event will take place in Moscow.

Whether unwittingly or otherwise, Gill is consistently echoing the Kremlin line precisely.

Now, with attention focussed on Putin’s "best friend in Ukraine", who should come to his defence but none other than Gill himself.

On October 23rd,  just days after the draft law calling for sanctions on the two Ukrainian TV channels, Gill was to table a written question to  the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. 

“The Ukrainian Parliament has voted in favour of sanctions against various news broadcasters, such as NewsOne TV and 112, which may now be forced to terminate their activities. Freedom of expression and freedom of the media are fundamental commitments of the Ukraine under the terms of the Association Agreement signed with the EU. How will the EU ensure that there is freedom of the press in the Ukraine and that the terms of the Association Agreement are honoured?”

Note that Gill is asking the EU to ensure that the terms of the Association Agreement, which he personally voted against, are honoured.  Astonishing hypocrisy, one might say. 

In tabling this question, which has no legislative value whatsoever, not to mention the answer, which will be written by a staff member in the European Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters in Brussels and will be of little interest to the world, Gill has, either unwittingly or otherwise, handed Zyagar’s “Kremlin's Men” a propaganda coup.

“EU to consider issue of Ukrainian authorities' pressure on 112 Ukraine and NewsOne TV channels”, screamed the headline on the 112 website on October 24th. 

“Federica Mogherini will assess the actions of the Ukrainian Parliament in relation to free media in Ukraine” it continued to misinform its readers, courtesy of Gill’s naivety. Or otherwise.

Lobbyists from these channels - often posing as journalists or human rights activists - are known to be operating in Brussels trying to find support from European politicians claiming violations of freedom of speech and media persecution in Ukraine. It appears they are finding their targets. This is an issue the European institutions might better use their time addressing.

Originally published at: https://eutoday.net/news/politics/2018/british-eurosceptic-mep-weighs-in-to-defend-pro-russian-media-from-action-by-ukrainian-parliament

Peggy Sue has passed away....

A long, long time ago.... as Don McLean sang....

Buddy Holly was working on a ballad that he could not quite get together: it was provisionally titled 'Cindy Lou'. He ran it past the band, and his drummer, Jerry 'Ivan' Allison, picked up on it straight away.

Jerry was courting a young lady by the name of Peggy Sue Gerron, and he felt that he might win her heart more easily if Buddy was to release the song under a different title. He also persuaded Buddy to make it a more up tempo rocker, and he added a frenetic drum back beat.

And so the song was released as 'Peggy Sue', and was to become one of the best selling records in Rock n Roll history.

Sadly, Peggy Sue passed away a few days ago at the age of 78, in her, and Buddy's, home town of Lubbock, Texas.

Her name will live forever, thanks to Buddy Holly.

The death of British comedy... Johnny English Strikes Out!

I love comedy. It is my great passion. I particularly love Jewish comedy (the best!) and the unashamedly 'naughty' British comedy of the 50s & 60s (think about Carry On movies and seaside postcards) and I have been totally unaffected by the disease of political correctness.



Tonight I watched the new Rowan Atkinson movie Johnny English Strikes Again.

Credit where credit is due, I think this is the first movie I have watched at a cinema where I haven't either fallen asleep or simply gotten bored and wandered out in about two years.

I did chuckle once or twice during the film, but to be honest just one hour after the end end of this screening I have no recollection of any single line in the script. Nor do I recall the plot, if indeed there was one.

Rowan Atkinson is one of our greatest comics, without doubt, but he deserves better material then this. 

Up Pompeii!

I remember when, whilst enduring Primary School, I first learned about the events of some 2000 years ago at Pompeii. This detail of ancient history really caught my imagination.

And so I was enthralled by the current Pompeii exhibition in Brussels, which I wholeheartedly recommend.

I am often critical about such expos in Belgium, as they have a tendency towards replicas. Replica dinosaur bones, replica terracotta warriors, replica governments, and so on. But this one really delivers.

More than 100 of the artefacts on display are from Pompeii, and how fascinating they are. I had the feeling that I could pick up any of these ancient relics and use them for their intended purpose; and so many of them are very personal - they were actually held and used on a daily basis by the men and women who perished so long ago.

The highlight for any political obsessive such as myself is what is believed to be the skull of Pliny the Elder. Displayed alongside a Gladio - the ancient Roman sword - found by his remains, this is a glimpse into the very beginning of classical European history.

The expo runs until April 15th. https://www.brussels.be/exhibition-pompeii-immortal-city

Daily Mail: Leading The Race To The Bottom

I first realised that something was wrong in 2004 or 2005 when I picked up a copy of the Daily Mail and on the front page headline the word "marriage" was spelled incorrectly.

 Since then, I have noticed an accelerating decline in the use of the English language in all media. But it is not only a grammatical problem: this is from the Mail on Sunday today (11 Feb).

"Over the past century, photography has emerged as perhaps the most accessible and influential art form, allowing us to bear witness to some of our planet's most formative moments in recent time. 

Whether it be the the scenes of devastation on 9/11 or the aftermath of nuclear fallout in Vietnam, many of us are able to instantly recognise the most iconic and controversial photographs ever taken." 

Nuclear fallout in Vietnam?

Newspapers now appear to expect journalists to work for nothing. We have a saying "pay peanuts, and you get monkeys”.

Was there not a sub-editor in place to pick this up?

Well, I suspect that I know the answer to that. No, there wasn't. I wonder even if the typesetting (is it still called that now?) is outsourced to a country where English is not the native language, but labour is cheap.

It is not just the Daily Mail, of course. As a publisher myself I follow my competitors carefully. 

It may be that the Daily Mail simply reflects the academic level of its readership, which I think is quite likely the case. But that is no excuse for editorial incompetence and illiteracy.

John Mahoney Has Left The Building

I love comedy, and one of my great indulgences, when I have the time, is to watch Channel 4 on a weekday morning when 3 episodes of Frasier are screened over 90 minutes. It is my absolute favourite on every level. I am particularly fond of the episodes written by Christopher Lloyd.



And so I was saddened to learn this morning of the passing of John Mahoney, the English-born and highly esteemed actor who played the role of Martin Crane, Frasier's father. Like every character in the show, Martin was indispensable to every plot. This was the most beautifully written and played character.

Interestingly, Mahoney didn't even want to read for the part; he had bad experiences with tv sitcoms in the past. However, when he did read the first script he realised that this role would define his career.

I tend to analyse comedy somewhat, and the beauty of Frasier is that it rewards repeat viewings. There are episodes I have watched at least 3 times, and always I find something new. Funnily, when Frasier Crane first appeared as a character in Cheers I didn't like him at all. The character was somewhat out of place, and I found him an irritating distraction. I would now say that I would consider Frasier to sit alongside Fawlty Towers as one of the greatest comedy series of all time.

The dynamics between Martin, a disabled former police officer, and the other characters were just wonderful. His dog, Eddie, was a prop utilised to perfection. But what I have always enjoyed most of all is the relationship between Martin and his housekeeper, Daphne, played brilliantly by Jane Leeves.

An intensely private man - even his co-stars knew nothing of his personal life - he passed away in a Chicago hospice after a short illness. He will be much missed, but he will continue to make us laugh for decades to come.