As the Brexit referendum results continue to reverberate around the world, UNIAN reports that,
"Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (left) said Australia was concerned that a weakened EU would not have any impact on how the Middle East and Ukraine situations are being handled, according to News.com.au." (UNIAN : 26 June 2016) (my emphasis)
At the same time, as reported by Laurence Norman and Zeke Turner,
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed Tuesday night that the European Union would extend economic sanctions against Russia.
...
Citing an agreed cease-fire in Ukraine that has never gotten off the ground, Ms. Merkel said that she and French President Francois Hollande made clear to EU leaders in Brussels "that the extension of the sanctions...is sadly necessary," (Wall Street Journal : June 28, 2016) (my emphasis)
Whilst Poroshenko must be sighing with relief that sanctions against Putin's Russia will continue for another 6 months, nonetheless "the knives are out for Merkel".
As reported by Ben Nimmo (left),
"The U.K. has consistently been one of the Kremlin's most vocal critics and a vital ally for Merkel in her efforts to maintain the EU's wavering unity on sanctions against Russia.
In the short term, last Thursday's vote [in Britain] does not change that, since the U.K. will remain a member until its departure negotiations are concluded over the next two years.
However, in the long term its decision to quit robs Merkel of her largest supporter, rendering her more vulnerable toward Russia." (Newsweek : 28/6/2016) (my emphasis)
And whilst Merkel is rather sad that the EU sanctions against Putin's Russia have to be renewed,
"Dutch Prime Minister
Mark Rutte (right) asked European Union leaders on Tuesday for "legally
binding" assurances to address his country's concerns over a trade and
association deal with Ukraine and said
The Hague would block it otherwise." (
the approval of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine" by the Dutch government.
As reported by Reuters,
"Dutch voters have overwhelmingly rejected a Ukraine-European Union treaty on closer political and economic ties, in a rebuke to their government and to the EU establishment.
The broad political, trade and defence treaty – which had already been signed by the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte’s government and approved by all other EU nations, and Ukraine – provisionally took effect in January." (The Guardian : Thursday 7 April 2016) (my emphasis)
Yet less that two weeks after the results of the Dutch referendum, Dutch M.P.'s,
" .... voted not to ditch the EU-Ukraine association agreement Tuesday, despite a referendum earlier this month at which more than 60 percent of voters opposed the deal.
...
On Tuesday, Dutch opposition MPs wanted to overturn an earlier parliamentary vote to back the association agreement, but were outvoted 75-71." (
At the same time,
"Nearly 2,000 troops from the United States and allies launched a massive military exercise in Ukraine Monday, the latest in a series of war games that NATO officials say would simulate counterattacks against "Russian aggression." (Fox News : June 27, 2016) (my emphasis)
And behind the scenes,
"Last week, Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister on European Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said that the next meeting of the Normandy Four countries, comprising Russia, Germany, Ukraine and France, is likely to happen after the July 8-9 NATO summit in Warsaw" (Sputnik International : 29 June, 2016)
has now proven to be 'wishful thinking'.
As also reported by Sputnik International,
"Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (left) said Australia was concerned that a weakened EU would not have any impact on how the Middle East and Ukraine situations are being handled, according to News.com.au." (UNIAN : 26 June 2016) (my emphasis)At the same time, as reported by Laurence Norman and Zeke Turner,
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed Tuesday night that the European Union would extend economic sanctions against Russia.
...
Citing an agreed cease-fire in Ukraine that has never gotten off the ground, Ms. Merkel said that she and French President Francois Hollande made clear to EU leaders in Brussels "that the extension of the sanctions...is sadly necessary," (Wall Street Journal : June 28, 2016) (my emphasis)
Whilst Poroshenko must be sighing with relief that sanctions against Putin's Russia will continue for another 6 months, nonetheless "the knives are out for Merkel".
As reported by Ben Nimmo (left),"The U.K. has consistently been one of the Kremlin's most vocal critics and a vital ally for Merkel in her efforts to maintain the EU's wavering unity on sanctions against Russia.
In the short term, last Thursday's vote [in Britain] does not change that, since the U.K. will remain a member until its departure negotiations are concluded over the next two years.
However, in the long term its decision to quit robs Merkel of her largest supporter, rendering her more vulnerable toward Russia." (Newsweek : 28/6/2016) (my emphasis)
And whilst Merkel is rather sad that the EU sanctions against Putin's Russia have to be renewed,
"Dutch Prime Minister
Mark Rutte (right) asked European Union leaders on Tuesday for "legally
binding" assurances to address his country's concerns over a trade and
association deal with Ukraine and said The Hague would block it otherwise." (
the approval of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine" by the Dutch government.
As reported by Reuters,
"Dutch voters have overwhelmingly rejected a Ukraine-European Union treaty on closer political and economic ties, in a rebuke to their government and to the EU establishment.
The broad political, trade and defence treaty – which had already been signed by the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte’s government and approved by all other EU nations, and Ukraine – provisionally took effect in January." (The Guardian : Thursday 7 April 2016) (my emphasis)
Yet less that two weeks after the results of the Dutch referendum, Dutch M.P.'s,
" .... voted not to ditch the EU-Ukraine association agreement Tuesday, despite a referendum earlier this month at which more than 60 percent of voters opposed the deal....
On Tuesday, Dutch opposition MPs wanted to overturn an earlier parliamentary vote to back the association agreement, but were outvoted 75-71." (
At the same time,
"Nearly 2,000 troops from the United States and allies launched a massive military exercise in Ukraine Monday, the latest in a series of war games that NATO officials say would simulate counterattacks against "Russian aggression." (Fox News : June 27, 2016) (my emphasis)
And behind the scenes,
"Last week, Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister on European Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said that the next meeting of the Normandy Four countries, comprising Russia, Germany, Ukraine and France, is likely to happen after the July 8-9 NATO summit in Warsaw" (Sputnik International : 29 June, 2016)
has now proven to be 'wishful thinking'.
As also reported by Sputnik International,
"A new Normandy Four
leaders meeting to discuss the Ukrainian peace settlement is not
expected to be held in the near future, a source in the Kremlin told RIA
Novosti."
Could this be due to the fact that the US wished to be included in these talks?
"The United States could join Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine at the
next high-level meeting, the spokesman told reporters following the
French Cabinet session." (Sputnik International : 22.06.2016) (my emphasis)
What the the fallout of Brexit and the scrapping of a Normany Four talks to include the US seem to indicate is that Putin and his Kremlin siloviki have been caught off guard.
They simply do not know just how to handle the political tsunami in the EU that has been caused by Brexit.
Putin may be viewed as a Brexit winner, as argued by Ben Nimmo.
Brexit has, however, thrown uncertainty into the economic recovery of the Eurozone, a Eurozone that includes Putin's biggest EU customers of Germany, France, and Italy,
whilst Britain does a significantly small amount of trade with Russia.
For another 6 months, as sad as it may seem for Angela Merkel, (cf above), Putin will not be able to easily extricate Russia from the turmoil of the economic recession that is affecting every single Russian family.
(to be continued)
26 June 2016
Read more on UNIAN: http://www.unian.info/politics/1387737-australian-fm-brexit-could-weaken-eus-impact-on-situation-in-ukraine.html
Read more on UNIAN: http://www.unian.info/politics/1387737-australian-fm-brexit-could-weaken-eus-impact-on-situation-in-ukraine.html
Australian Foreign
Minister Julie Bishop said Australia was concerned that a weakened EU
would not have any impact on how the Middle East and Ukraine situations
are being handled, according to News.com.au.
Read more on UNIAN: http://www.unian.info/politics/1387737-australian-fm-brexit-could-weaken-eus-impact-on-situation-in-ukraine.html
Read more on UNIAN: http://www.unian.info/politics/1387737-australian-fm-brexit-could-weaken-eus-impact-on-situation-in-ukraine.html
Australian Foreign
Minister Julie Bishop said Australia was concerned that a weakened EU
would not have any impact on how the Middle East and Ukraine situations
are being handled, according to News.com.au.
Read more on UNIAN: http://www.unian.info/politics/1387737-australian-fm-brexit-could-weaken-eus-impact-on-situation-in-ukraine.html
Read more on UNIAN: http://www.unian.info/politics/1387737-australian-fm-brexit-could-weaken-eus-impact-on-situation-in-ukraine.html
Australian Foreign
Minister Julie Bishop said Australia was concerned that a weakened EU
would not have any impact on how the Middle East and Ukraine situations
are being handled, according to News.com.au.
Read more on UNIAN: http://www.unian.info/politics/1387737-australian-fm-brexit-could-weaken-eus-impact-on-situation-in-ukraine.html
Read more on UNIAN: http://www.unian.info/politics/1387737-australian-fm-brexit-could-weaken-eus-impact-on-situation-in-ukraine.html
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