The US tells Russia “put up or shut up”. Russia unimpressed

US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner made an interesting and very significant statement today.  He told Russia to “put up or shut up”.  Here is what he said exactly:

Mark Toner

“I don’t know how to put it any better than saying: ‘It’s put up or shut up time,'” (…)  “It is time for them to show through action rather than words that they are serious about what they profess to be serious about, which is a ceasefire, a cessation of hostilities and a political process that leads to a transition.”

The Russian reply came from Maria Zakharova, the Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She replied:

Maria Zakharova

“We are generally surprised that the rhetoric and statements which are made by officials from the White House and State Department spokesman: every day are becoming sharper and sharper, but not in terms of facts or any argument, but in the use of some strange idioms.  What do these rude statements illustrate? Of course, the absence of intelligence or of a decent education, but this is not even the most important thing.  The most important thing is that this is a symptom of a total lack of arguments.”

An “absence of intelligence or of a decent education” and “a total lack of arguments”?  This is hardly something for US diplomats.  Remember how Admiral Kirby ‘lost it’ when questioned  by RT’s Gayane Chichakyan:

The sad reality is that the Empire is run by mediocre, rude, stupid, uneducated and generally ugly people whose hatred for Russia is almost palpable.  There is a reason why both Toner and Kirby get so mad.  These guys think of themselves as some kind of imperial overlords, an imperial master which should not be questioned challenged or, God forbid, criticized.  For them, to hear anything about Russia triggers an almost instant “minute of hate” response.

From the Russian side mostly of what you hear are comments about the “lack of professionalism” on the USA side.  This goes for the civilians and for the military.  Of course, Kerry and his “plan B” is ridiculous, but no more than the US Pentagon spokesman when he claims that Russia aircraft bomb a when, in reality, the closest Russian aircraft was over 20 miles away.  Remember the day Putin called Kerry “a liar”:

“This was very unpleasant and surprising for me. We talk to them (the Americans), and we assume they are decent people, but he is lying and he knows that he is lying. This is sad.”

That completes the picture: unintelligent, uneducated, unprofessional, liars.

The Russian disgust with the US leaders is total.

The Saker