Putin and Merkel's upcoming private little tête-à-tête. Merkel's 'sellout' of Ukraine?

Whilst the 'fragrant' Mogherini (left) is saying that,

""A destabilized and isolated Russia is not in the interest of the European Union, is not for sure in the interest of the Russian people, and I believe it's not in the interest of the Russian leadership, but it is for them to decide" (Reuters : 6 May, 2015),

she has also informed Chinese students in Beijing that,

"Speaking to students during a visit to Beijing, the EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini said that while she did not see Russia as an "actor" of instability or insecurity, violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty were a matter of universal concern." (ibid Reuters) (my emphases)

Yet again has the 'fragrant' Mogherini exposed herself as nothing more nor less than a 'cheerleader' for Putin in the EU as she reveals her rather warped 'diplomatic' logic about Putin's war with Ukraine.

And if this were not enough, Denis Dyomkin and John Irish inform us that,


"Russian President Vladimir Putin and [the Putinversteher] German Chancellor Angela Merkel will discuss the crisis in Ukraine at talks in Moscow on Sunday, a Kremlin aide said on Wednesday."(Reuters : Wed May 6, 2015)

But before we go any further, let us cast our minds back to that private little tête-à-tête  that Putin and Merkel had about Ukraine last year. 

Simon Tomlinson then informed us that,

"Germany and Russia are working on a secret peace deal to end the conflict in Ukraine that would see Moscow's controversial annexation of Crimea officially recognised in exchange for a $1billion compensation package, it was claimed today." (Mail Online : 31 July 2014)

This 'bribe' that Merkel then offered Putin did not quite work out. Events in Ukraine since then have amply illustrated that Putin was 'taking Merkel for a ride'. This is borne out by the fact that, as reported on 9 March 2015,

"Vladimir Putin ... admitted for the first time that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the referendum on self-determination." (BBC : 9 March 2015)

Coming back to the  private little tête-à-tête  that Putin and Merkel will be having about Ukraine this coming Sunday (10 May, 2015); Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov (left with Putin)  said that,

"Naturally the situation in Ukraine will be among the main topics of the talks with the German chancellor," ...... adding that both leaders wanted an end to violence [in Ukraine]. (ibid Denis Dyomkin and John Irish) (my emphasis)

And whilst the Putinversteher Angela Merkel wishes to 'end the violence' in eastern Ukraine,  Agence France Press reports that,

"Pro-Russian separatists appear to be making preparations for a fresh offensive in eastern Ukraine, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter (right) told lawmakers on Wednesday.

Ukrainian government forces and analysts have warned that pro-Moscow rebels are readying for a push to extend their control to the key seaport of Mariupol, the largest remaining Ukrainian-controlled city in the conflict zone." (AFP : Yahoo News : 7 May, 2015)

As reported by Bradley Klapper and Ken Dilanian of Associated Press,

"The United States now sees the Ukrainian rebels (right) as a Russian force.

American officials briefed on intelligence from the region say Russia has significantly deepened its command and control of the militants in eastern Ukraine in recent months, leading the U.S. to quietly introduce a new term: "combined Russian separatist forces."(Business Insider UK : Apr. 30, 2015)

What this in effect means is that,

"By describing them as an integrated force in the east of the country, the U.S. is putting greater responsibility on Russia for the continued fighting. That will make it harder for Russia to persuade the U.S. and Europe to scale back sanctions that are hurting its economy..." (ibid Bradley Klapper and Ken Dilanian) (my emphasis)

With this in mind what, exactly, is the Putinversteher Merkel going to 'secretly' offer Putin during their private little tête-à-tête  this coming Sunday that will make him posptone his imminent attack on Mariupol?

There can only be one thing that may .... just may .... make Putin hold back on his imminent attack on Mariupol viz. the postponement of the implementation of the Free Trade pact with Ukraine on 1 January, 2016.

As Robin Emmott reports (5 May, 2015),

"The European Union will implement a free-trade pact with Ukraine from next year despite Russian pressure for another delay, according to a draft statement prepared for a summit with six of the bloc's eastern neighbours this month in Riga.

The joint declaration, which is likely to antagonise Moscow, commits to the deal from Jan. 1, 2016, a date already a year later than planned as Russia seeks to oppose European efforts to integrate Ukraine and move it out of Moscow's sphere of orbit.

The deal is at the heart of tensions that have grown from a tug-of-war over influence in Kiev to sanctions, the annexation of Crimea by Russia, armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, and concern among some in the West about a new Cold War." (Reuters : Tue May 5, 2015) (my emphasis)

But can Merkel pull this one off, even if she wants to? 

After all, this deal with Ukraine is only a 'joint declaration' and is not 'written in stone'.

Or is she going to try and 'bribe' Putin with a comparable type of 'Free Trade pact' for Russia.

Like the 'fragrant Mogherini, the Putinversteher Merkel will have to invent her own peculiar warped 'diplomatic' logic to try and pull Putin's chesnut of his imminent invasion of Mariupol 'out of the fire'.

And in so doing she will, unwittingly, be treading along the same path that led to the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact viz.

"anticipating potential "territorial and political rearrangements"( "spheres of influence") [of Putin's Russia and the EU, at the expense of Ukraine]." (Wikipedia) 

(to be continued)