Putin's Syrian gambit has blown up in his face!
As
the breakdown in diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran probably sounds the death-knell, at least for now, for regional efforts to end the wars in Yemen and Syria." (BBC News : 4 Jan. 2016)
Putin's hope that his intervention in Syria would deflect the eyes of the world away from his war with Ukraine, and propel him onto the international scene as the primary broker of peace in Syria, has drastically backfired.
He backed the wrong horse! Bashar Al Assad!
Bashar Al Assad (left), the Alawite, an Islamic sect, centered in Syria, who follow a branch of the Twelver school of Shia Islam but with syncretistic elements, and who has the full backing of Iran, whose diplomatic relations with Sunni Islam Saudi Arabia has now been severed, has now become a millstone around the neck of Putin..
Putin's effort in continuing to de-stabilise Ukraine will now be concentrated on dragging it through the courts in London.
As Chris Papadopoullos (right) reports,
"The tense standoff between Ukraine and Russia over a $3bn loan will enter its next stages in London as we head into 2016.
......... The countries’ debt standoff goes back to 2013, when Russia offered the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych the loan. It was supposed to be the initial tranche of a $15bn package, designed to keep Ukraine closer to Russia than the EU.
But when Yanukovych was ousted in 2014, the new government began
pushing for closer ties with the EU, signing the EU-Ukraine Association
Agreement." (City A.M. : 4 January 2016) (my emphasis)
If Putin's failed Syrian gambit were not enough to give him his first New Year's headache, then the revelation that,
" .... Some 20 Russian soldiers - reportedly involved in downing flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 - have been identified. The suspects are revealed in a new report by Bellingcat, a team of investigative journalists. Dutch prosecutors say they are seriously examining the data to assess whether it can be used as evidence in the international criminal investigation." ( UT : Jan. 4, 2016) (my emphasis)
surely must.
So whilst Putin is dragging Ukraine into British courts to deny that his $3 billion loan to former Ukrainian president Victor Yanukovich was NOT a bribe to keep Ukraine away from a closer economic union with the EU, Dutch prosecutors are closer to dragging him into an International Court over the shooting down of MH17.
Now recall that,".. On the evening of 13 November 2015, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks occurred in Paris and its northern suburb, Saint-Denis." (Wikipedia)
As a result, Franscoise Hollande, President of France, joined forces with Putin on Nov 27 2015 in a joint effort to fight against Daesh (ISIS). (NBC News : Nov 27 2015)
At this point in time, Putin was standing 'four square' behind Bashar Al Assad.
This relationship between Hollande and Putin no doubt 'coloured' Hollande's input during the recent Skype meeting between Merkel, Hollande, Poroshenko and Putin, regarding the full implementation of Minsk2.
Bear in mind also that Merkel opened the doors of Germany to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing from Assad's war against his people, even though she initially received much 'flak' from many political quarters in Germany. (Deborah Cole : AFP (Yahoo News): 15 December 2015)
As I stated in my last blog entry,
"From this [Skype Conference held on 30 December, 2015] one can only deduce that the hidden agenda of Merkel and Hollande is to get sanctions against Russia lifted!
Watch this hidden agenda unfold as the New Year progresses."
Now, however, events between Iran and Saudi Arabia has rather "thrown the cat amongst the pidgeons" of this 'hidden agenda' of Merkel and Hollande.
Putin cannot 'suddenly' withdraw his support for Assad.
More importantly, Hollande cannot be seen to stand alongside Putin, thus courting the extreme displeasure of Saudi Arabia and her friends.
Merkel, on the other hand, has given refuge to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.
Merkel can help Putin get off the Syrian hook on which he now dangles.
Will she now force Putin's hand over Ukraine?
(to be continued)
As
the breakdown in diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran probably sounds the death-knell, at least for now, for regional efforts to end the wars in Yemen and Syria." (BBC News : 4 Jan. 2016)
Putin's hope that his intervention in Syria would deflect the eyes of the world away from his war with Ukraine, and propel him onto the international scene as the primary broker of peace in Syria, has drastically backfired.He backed the wrong horse! Bashar Al Assad!
Bashar Al Assad (left), the Alawite, an Islamic sect, centered in Syria, who follow a branch of the Twelver school of Shia Islam but with syncretistic elements, and who has the full backing of Iran, whose diplomatic relations with Sunni Islam Saudi Arabia has now been severed, has now become a millstone around the neck of Putin.. Putin's effort in continuing to de-stabilise Ukraine will now be concentrated on dragging it through the courts in London.
As Chris Papadopoullos (right) reports,
"The tense standoff between Ukraine and Russia over a $3bn loan will enter its next stages in London as we head into 2016.......... The countries’ debt standoff goes back to 2013, when Russia offered the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych the loan. It was supposed to be the initial tranche of a $15bn package, designed to keep Ukraine closer to Russia than the EU.
If Putin's failed Syrian gambit were not enough to give him his first New Year's headache, then the revelation that,
" .... Some 20 Russian soldiers - reportedly involved in downing flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 - have been identified. The suspects are revealed in a new report by Bellingcat, a team of investigative journalists. Dutch prosecutors say they are seriously examining the data to assess whether it can be used as evidence in the international criminal investigation." ( UT : Jan. 4, 2016) (my emphasis)
surely must.
So whilst Putin is dragging Ukraine into British courts to deny that his $3 billion loan to former Ukrainian president Victor Yanukovich was NOT a bribe to keep Ukraine away from a closer economic union with the EU, Dutch prosecutors are closer to dragging him into an International Court over the shooting down of MH17. Now recall that,".. On the evening of 13 November 2015, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks occurred in Paris and its northern suburb, Saint-Denis." (Wikipedia)
As a result, Franscoise Hollande, President of France, joined forces with Putin on Nov 27 2015 in a joint effort to fight against Daesh (ISIS). (NBC News : Nov 27 2015)
At this point in time, Putin was standing 'four square' behind Bashar Al Assad.
This relationship between Hollande and Putin no doubt 'coloured' Hollande's input during the recent Skype meeting between Merkel, Hollande, Poroshenko and Putin, regarding the full implementation of Minsk2.
Bear in mind also that Merkel opened the doors of Germany to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing from Assad's war against his people, even though she initially received much 'flak' from many political quarters in Germany. (Deborah Cole : AFP (Yahoo News): 15 December 2015)As I stated in my last blog entry,
"From this [Skype Conference held on 30 December, 2015] one can only deduce that the hidden agenda of Merkel and Hollande is to get sanctions against Russia lifted!
Watch this hidden agenda unfold as the New Year progresses."
Now, however, events between Iran and Saudi Arabia has rather "thrown the cat amongst the pidgeons" of this 'hidden agenda' of Merkel and Hollande.
Putin cannot 'suddenly' withdraw his support for Assad.
More importantly, Hollande cannot be seen to stand alongside Putin, thus courting the extreme displeasure of Saudi Arabia and her friends.
Merkel, on the other hand, has given refuge to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.
Merkel can help Putin get off the Syrian hook on which he now dangles.
Will she now force Putin's hand over Ukraine?
(to be continued)
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