Germany and France selling out eastern Ukraine to Putin

Vitaliy Portnikov wrote on 25th February that,

"Putin has failed to achieve the federalization of Ukraine through war. Now he wants to achieve it through peace." (EuroMaidan Press : 2016/02/25) (my emphasis)

Putin’s crony Viktor Medvedchuk (left: with Putin) [.......] spoke not about the implementation of the Minsk agreements but about the “spirit of Minsk.”

"The “spirit of Minsk” is a model for the coexistence of the Russian controlled regions of the Donbas with the rest of Ukraine. It consists of bringing in a new government into the “people’s republics” with which (Ukrainians) could talk without being accused of dealing with militants. Medvedchuk calls this proposed new command for the Donbas a “temporary government,” but it can turn out to be the first step in the transformation of Ukraine into a real federation." (ibid EuroMaidan Press) (my emphasis)

This being the case, is it any wonder that Putin is suddenly,

"....prepared to support the election proposal presented by Germany and France"?
 .....
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who described the four-hour meeting [last week between the foreign ministers of France, Russia, Germany, and Ukraine] as "frank, direct, and without holding back," announced that the talks had underlined the importance of adopting an electoral law to hold elections in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region in June. (RFE/RL : March 04, 2016)

 However,

"Klimkin said Ukraine continues to insist that all commitments for a cease-fire and withdrawal of weapons be carried out before such elections are held.
"We must be able to ensure these elections are organized safely; we need our territory to be secure. Without security we can't deliver on anything further," Klimkin added." (ibid RFE/RL) (my emphasis)

And whilst 'Putinversteher' Walter Steinmeier, and  French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault are pushing for the holding of elections in the rebel-held territories of eastern Ukraine by June of this year, thus supporting Putin's Maskirovaka strategy strategy of stealthily 'federalising Ukraine, UNIAN reports that,

"The combined Russian-separatist forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in eastern Ukraine 57 times in the past 24 hours, including 46 times in the Donetsk sector and 11 times in the Mariupol sector, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) reported on Friday." (UNIAN : 04.03.2016) (cf. also: UNIAN : 06.03.2016) (my emphasis)

Even the UN is expressing concern that,

"The risk of re-escalation of hostilities remains high, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said in its report." (UNIAN : 03.03.2016) (Full UN Report) 

 

Why, therefore, if Putin is now siding with Steinmeier and  Jean-Marc Ayrault over the holding of elections in the rebel-held territory of eastern Ukraine, is he continuing to build a Russian military base on the Russian border close to Ukraine's Kharkiv region?

And one has to ask the further question;

Were Walter Steinmeier and Jean-Marc Ayrault aware of the fact whilst they were siding with Putin's 'dyed-in-the-wool-Soviet' foreign minister Sergei Lavrov that,

"Military clashes between the Ukrainian military and the enemy sabotage groups occurred in the Mariupol direction resulting in 30 pro-Russian militants being killed, according to the presidential administration’s speaker for the Anti-Terrorist Operation, Andriy Lysenko, who spoke at a briefing Saturday."? (UNIAN : 05.03.2016)

 

What is even more significant is that French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault (right) seems to simply dismiss US diplomat, Daniel Baer, who represents Washington at the OSCE, and who stated that,

“combined-Russian separatist forces” in east Ukraine, in the run-up to the Paris talks, escalated fighting to its “highest level since August 2015” and that Russia “continues to flout” Minsk provisions on withdrawing troops and armour. 

“This violence … calls into question Russia’s and the separatists’ commitment to full implementation of the Minsk agreements,” he said. " ( Andrew Rettman : EuObserver : 4 March 2016) (my emphasis)

 

And whilst Steinmeier and Jean-Marc Ayrault continue to support Putin in his call for quick elections in the rebel held territory of eastern Ukraine,

"When Russian-backed forces seized public buildings in eastern Ukraine, unleashing the ongoing conflict, many Ukrainians thought the crisis would not last very long.  Two years later, with western sanctions and two peace agreements failing to stop Russia’s intervention, the war continues and many of those displaced see little hope that they will get to go home anytime soon." (Luis Ramirez : VOA : March 03, 2016) (my emphasis)

 

And lest we forget,

"About 2,000 people rallied on Independence Square in Kiev on Sunday to demand that Russia release Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko, with hundreds then marching to the Russian Embassy to vent their anger by throwing eggs and rocks at the building." (AP (Mail Online) :  6 March 2016)

(to be continued)