In my last blog entry I stated that,
"It is also about time that Merkel ends the rather suspicious 'special' relationship that she has with Putin. Those tete-a-tete's, those private conversations that she has with Putin, sometimes until 1.30am in the morning, rather belies her 'incredulity' about his 'open' invasion of eastern Ukraine and his behaviour on the international stage."
What is now emerging, as reported in RT (November 23, 2014) is that Germany's Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has stated in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine that,
Yet, only yesterday (Nov. 23, 2014) Elena Holodny reports that,
The Mig-31 fighter jets would be able to survey airspace well inside
Ukraine without actually flying over the country, and alert separatists
on the ground of any movements by Ukrainian airplanes. (ibid Alberto Riva) (my emphasis)
Is this possibly why the US,
" ...military delivered three lightweight, counter-mortar radar systems yesterday to Ukrainian armed forces, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters today.
The radar systems are the first few of 20 that will be delivered during the next several weeks and U.S. military members will begin training Ukrainian armed forces in mid-December, Warren said." (Terri Moon Cronk : Nov. 21, 2014: US Dept. of Defence)
Furthermore, is this fighter-jet build-up of Mig-31's on Ukraine's border with Russia also causing Finland to feel even more vulnerable amidst recent Russian provocations, as reported by Griff Witte? (Nov. 23, 2014: Washington Post)
Added to which,
" .... Britain is planning more large Cold War-style tank exercises in Poland next year in the wake of Russian aggression in Ukraine, the head of the Army [General Sir Nick Carter] has said." ( Ben Farmer: 21 Nov 2014: Daily Telegraph)
However, we should be reminded that, "Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his belief that Russia is the strongest nation" (in the world??) TASS news agency. "We're stronger," he said, "because we're right. When the Russian feels that he's right, he's unstoppable. I'm saying this sincerely, not just to pontificate," he added. (my emphasis)
"Mikhail Gorbachev has said Vladimir Putin thinks of himself as "second only to God" after complaining the Kremlin leader never seeks his advice." (Sebastian Whale: Daily Telegraph: 21 Nov 2014) (my emphasis)
"It is also about time that Merkel ends the rather suspicious 'special' relationship that she has with Putin. Those tete-a-tete's, those private conversations that she has with Putin, sometimes until 1.30am in the morning, rather belies her 'incredulity' about his 'open' invasion of eastern Ukraine and his behaviour on the international stage."
What is now emerging, as reported in RT (November 23, 2014) is that Germany's Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has stated in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine that,
- he is against Ukraine joining NATO
- he does not believe it is realistic for Ukraine to join the European Union in the foreseeable future, as the economic and political modernization of Ukraine is a “project for a few generations.” (my emphasis)
- it is possible for NATO to have a partnership with Ukraine, but not membership
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| Frank-Walter Steinmeier |
Steinmeier could NOT have made these statements WITHOUT the blessing of Merkel. Could this be what Merkel and Putin agreed upon when they had their private 4-hour tete a tete in Brisbane? (blog)
What Steinmeier, former chair (2009 - 2013) of the SPD parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, has revealed is that Merkel is really pushing Putin's agenda about Ukraine. She has become Putin's mouthpiece in the EU. The ghost of the Stalin-Hitler pact (1939) is hovering over her.
It simply cannot be a co-incidence that Steinmeier and Putin-spokesman Dmitry Peskov are singing from the same hymn sheet.
"Peskov said that,"Russia needs a “100 percent guarantee that no one would think
about Ukraine joining NATO”. (November 23, 2014) (my emphasis)
Dmitri Peskov
But here comes the rub. Steinmeier, like Peskov, is totally against Ukraine joining NATO. And yet we are informed by the President of Ukraine, Poroshenko, that,
"At a joint news conference (24 Nov, 2014) with Lithuania's president, Mr Poroshenko said he had "worked out the criteria" [for NATO membership], but gave no further details." (BBC News Europe: 24 November 2014)
Where does this leave the triumvirate of Putin, Merkel, and Steinmeier?
But perhaps most galling of all is that Merkel is, in fact, trampling over the dead bodies of Maidan where the call for Ukrainian EU membership was the rock upon which their protests stood. And now Steinmeier is calling for this door to be shut in the faces of those protestors, and of those who gave their lives to join with Europe and break the bonds of their servitude towards Russia. The question that really needs to be asked is, "Why did Germany accept 8 eastern European countries to rapidly join the EU on 1st May 2004"? And now, why not Ukraine? Because that is precisely what Putin wants!
Ukraine [is] to hold Nato vote when membership criteria are met
"At a joint news conference (24 Nov, 2014) with Lithuania's president, Mr Poroshenko said he had "worked out the criteria" [for NATO membership], but gave no further details." (BBC News Europe: 24 November 2014)
 |
| Lithuania's president (L) is the latest leader to offer military assistance to Petro Poroshenko |
But perhaps most galling of all is that Merkel is, in fact, trampling over the dead bodies of Maidan where the call for Ukrainian EU membership was the rock upon which their protests stood. And now Steinmeier is calling for this door to be shut in the faces of those protestors, and of those who gave their lives to join with Europe and break the bonds of their servitude towards Russia. The question that really needs to be asked is, "Why did Germany accept 8 eastern European countries to rapidly join the EU on 1st May 2004"? And now, why not Ukraine? Because that is precisely what Putin wants!
Yet, only yesterday (Nov. 23, 2014) Elena Holodny reports that,
"Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his belief that Russia is the
strongest nation, which will lead to — in his eyes — a positive end in
Crimea, according to an interview with the state-owned TASS news agency.") "We're stronger," he said, "because we're right. When the Russian feels
that he's right, he's unstoppable. I'm saying this sincerely, not just
to pontificate," he added. (my emphasis)
 |
| Mig-31 fighter |
As if to underscore Putin's words, the Russian military has sent an unknown number of Mig-31 fighter jets to the eastern Ukrainian border. (International Business Times: November 21, 2014) . This move, according to Alberto Riva, could just tip the balance, "of the Ukrainian conflict in favor of the Russian-backed separatists."
Is this possibly why the US,
" ...military delivered three lightweight, counter-mortar radar systems yesterday to Ukrainian armed forces, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters today.
The radar systems are the first few of 20 that will be delivered during the next several weeks and U.S. military members will begin training Ukrainian armed forces in mid-December, Warren said." (Terri Moon Cronk : Nov. 21, 2014: US Dept. of Defence)
Furthermore, is this fighter-jet build-up of Mig-31's on Ukraine's border with Russia also causing Finland to feel even more vulnerable amidst recent Russian provocations, as reported by Griff Witte? (Nov. 23, 2014: Washington Post)
 |
| Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin |
" .... Britain is planning more large Cold War-style tank exercises in Poland next year in the wake of Russian aggression in Ukraine, the head of the Army [General Sir Nick Carter] has said." ( Ben Farmer: 21 Nov 2014: Daily Telegraph)
However, we should be reminded that, "Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his belief that Russia is the strongest nation" (in the world??) TASS news agency. "We're stronger," he said, "because we're right. When the Russian feels that he's right, he's unstoppable. I'm saying this sincerely, not just to pontificate," he added. (my emphasis)
"Mikhail Gorbachev has said Vladimir Putin thinks of himself as "second only to God" after complaining the Kremlin leader never seeks his advice." (Sebastian Whale: Daily Telegraph: 21 Nov 2014) (my emphasis)
 |
Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev Photo: AFP
|
As Gorbachev has intimated, is this possibly indicative of the "God-complex" that Putin may be suffering from?
"A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. A person with a god complex may refuse to admit the possibility of their error or failure, even in the face of complex or intractable problems or difficult or impossible tasks, or may regard their personal opinions as unquestionably correct. The individual may disregard the rules of society and require special consideration or privileges."(Wikipedia) (my emphasis)
(to be continued)
"A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. A person with a god complex may refuse to admit the possibility of their error or failure, even in the face of complex or intractable problems or difficult or impossible tasks, or may regard their personal opinions as unquestionably correct. The individual may disregard the rules of society and require special consideration or privileges."(Wikipedia) (my emphasis)
(to be continued)
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