Andy Dabilis reported last Sunday that,
"Russian President Vladimir Putin, with top ministers in tow, will be in Greece for a two-day visit next week to discuss business ventures.
...
It will be the first visit Putin has made to Athens in nine years and he will bring with him a delegation of business leaders, Kathimerini said, including those who want to invest in Greece just when the country needs it most during a crushing economic crisis." (The National Herald : 22 May, 2016) (my emphasis)
And so it was that Putin arrived yesterday (27 May, 2016) with his entourage in tow, an entourage that included not only businessmen, but also some of Putin's key Kremlin kleptocratic 'siloviki' viz. Gazprom Chairman Alexey Miller and Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov, who will lead the business group. Also in tow was none other than that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. (below: Miller, Bazrov, & Lavrov)
Recall that in April of 2015, Alexis Tsipras ran to Putin during the height of the Greek economic crisis, seeking to obtain loans to bail him out.
After all, as Tsipras himself said in this press conference,
"Tourism in the backbone of our economy.... Greece must become the hot-spot for Russian Tourists"
And corrupt Russians are obliging. Tsipras has opened the doors of Greece to corrupt millions flowing from Russia into the hotel industry in Greece.
It can also be no co-incidence that, on the SAME day that Putin arrived in Greece, that Putinversteher
"Steinmeier on Friday floated the possibility of a "step by step" reduction of sanctions but only if there is progress on ending the conflict in Ukraine." (AFP : 27 May, 2016) (my emphasis)
And whilst Putin is 'buying off' Tsipras, and Walter Steinmeier, the current Chairman of the OSCE, is 'floating' the idea of a "step by step" reduction of EU sanctions against Russia,
And whilst Putin is 'buying off' Alexis Tsipras, and Walter Steinmeier is beginning to slowly dismantle the EU sanctions against Russia,
"Ukraine intends to cement a free trade agreement with Turkey on balanced
and mutually beneficial conditions and increase the flow of Turkish
investments into Ukrainian economy by the end of this year." (UT : May. 13, 2016) whilst at the same time,
"Ukraine and Canada hope to complete the negotiating procedures on the free trade deal between the two countries by summer 2016." (UT : May. 10, 2016)
As Ukraine is slowly and falteringly ridding itself of its corrupt past, and painfully laying down the foundations of a free and democratic society, Putin and his kleptocratic 'siloviki' clique, for whom he has now created their own Praetorian guard to protect themselves from the Russian people, now has to run to Greece for help in getting rid of the EU sanctions against Russia, to stave off an even deeper economic crisis towards which the Russian economy is heading.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin, with top ministers in tow, will be in Greece for a two-day visit next week to discuss business ventures.
...
It will be the first visit Putin has made to Athens in nine years and he will bring with him a delegation of business leaders, Kathimerini said, including those who want to invest in Greece just when the country needs it most during a crushing economic crisis." (The National Herald : 22 May, 2016) (my emphasis)
And so it was that Putin arrived yesterday (27 May, 2016) with his entourage in tow, an entourage that included not only businessmen, but also some of Putin's key Kremlin kleptocratic 'siloviki' viz. Gazprom Chairman Alexey Miller and Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov, who will lead the business group. Also in tow was none other than that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. (below: Miller, Bazrov, & Lavrov)
Recall that in April of 2015, Alexis Tsipras ran to Putin during the height of the Greek economic crisis, seeking to obtain loans to bail him out.
It would now seem that it is Putin running to Tsipras to ensure that the EU sanctions against him and his kleptocratic 'siloviki' Kremlin clique are NOT renewed this coming July, or that they are 'watered' down in light of the dire straits in which the Russian economy is floundering.
Why, otherwise, is Putin suddenly visiting Greece after and absence of NINE years?
The press conference that the 'dapper' Putin and the 'contrived PR image of a tie-less' Tsipras held yesterday (May 27,2016), stripped of its diplomatic flummery about historical ties and 'comrades-in-arms' trade partners, simply boils down to Tsipras being bought to ensure that the the EU sanctions against Russia are NOT renewed this July.
After all, as Tsipras himself said in this press conference,
"Tourism in the backbone of our economy.... Greece must become the hot-spot for Russian Tourists"
And corrupt Russians are obliging. Tsipras has opened the doors of Greece to corrupt millions flowing from Russia into the hotel industry in Greece.
It can also be no co-incidence that, on the SAME day that Putin arrived in Greece, that Putinversteher"Steinmeier on Friday floated the possibility of a "step by step" reduction of sanctions but only if there is progress on ending the conflict in Ukraine." (AFP : 27 May, 2016) (my emphasis)
And whilst Putin is 'buying off' Tsipras, and Walter Steinmeier, the current Chairman of the OSCE, is 'floating' the idea of a "step by step" reduction of EU sanctions against Russia,
"This week, separatist forces launched an artillery attack that caused
the most Ukrainian national casualties in a year. Seven soldiers were
killed and nine were wounded in a 24-hour period that ended Tuesday,
according to Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.
Separatists on Friday launched 28 attacks on Ukrainian forces, Ukraine’s defense ministry reported." (
And whilst Putin is 'buying off' Alexis Tsipras, and Walter Steinmeier is beginning to slowly dismantle the EU sanctions against Russia,
"Ukraine intends to cement a free trade agreement with Turkey on balanced
and mutually beneficial conditions and increase the flow of Turkish
investments into Ukrainian economy by the end of this year." (UT : May. 13, 2016) whilst at the same time,
"Ukraine and Canada hope to complete the negotiating procedures on the free trade deal between the two countries by summer 2016." (UT : May. 10, 2016)As Ukraine is slowly and falteringly ridding itself of its corrupt past, and painfully laying down the foundations of a free and democratic society, Putin and his kleptocratic 'siloviki' clique, for whom he has now created their own Praetorian guard to protect themselves from the Russian people, now has to run to Greece for help in getting rid of the EU sanctions against Russia, to stave off an even deeper economic crisis towards which the Russian economy is heading.
No comments:
Post a Comment