Is Putin being rescued from an economically failing Crimea?

It is quite amusing to hear the 'fragrant' Federica Mogherini (left), European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, yet again mouthing the political platitude at the UN that,

"The European Union will continue to stand for Ukraine's territorial integrity – and does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol. " (UT : Jun. 7, 2016) (my emphasis)

At the same time she follows this statement with,

"We are working closely with Kyiv to help them achieve the reforms the country so urgently needs." (ibid UT)

And what does this mean? Nothing more nor less than her call for Kiev to strictly carry out the Minsk2 agreements, agreements that have Putin's fingerprints all over them.

""The Minsk agreements have to be fully implemented in all their parts, if we want the situation in eastern Ukraine to calm down". (ibid UT) (pic. right: Mogherini with Lavrov and Putin)

This 'political grandstanding' of the 'fragrant' Mogherini has to be viewed against the backdrop of the increasingly vocal call of Putin's sympathisers in the EU for the EU sanctions against Russia to be dismantled piece-by-piece, as suggested by those Putinversteher, Walter Steinmeier and his SDP 'buddy', German Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel.                                Sigmar Gabriel and Walter Steinmeier

What, exactly, is the 'real' motive behind this call for the EU sanctions against Putin's Russia to be dismantled piecemeal?

Maybe Putin's glove-puppet, Dmitri Medvedev, gives us a clue.

As reported by UT,

"During his visit to Russia-occupied [Ukrainian Crimea] peninsula Dmitry Medvedev held a meeting with frustrated local citizens.

"We don't have money now. But you hold on, I wish you all the best, good mood and good health", Medvedev said in response to the complaints.
...
Medvedev explained, similar problems existed in every region of the Russian Federation. So the government couldn't raise pensions just in Crimea. He promised to increase the payments when Moscow finds money." (UT : May. 24, 2016) (my emphasis) (cf. also: UT Jun. 7, 2016 "Money's Running Out in Crimea") 

As I reported in my last blog entry,

".... Roland Oliphant of the Telegraph reports that,

".. a few hours ago regional deputies [in Putin's annexed Ukrainian Crimea] voted overwhelmingly for Crimea to join Russia as another region of the Russian federation" (Telegraph video : 9 June 2016)

This puts into perspective Medvedev explaining that,

"....similar [economic] problems existed in every region of the Russian Federation ..."

 And now Putin's hand-picked deputies in illegally annexed Ukrainian Crimea are calling for it to become a de facto region of the Russian Federation? 

Yet the 'fragrant' Mogherini can stand up in the UN and 'un-blushingly' pronounce that,

"The European Union will continue to stand for Ukraine's territorial integrity – and does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol. " (ibid UT : Jun. 7, 2016)

whilst at the SAME time there is a call for,

"... EU sanctions against Russia to be dismantled piece-by-piece, as suggested by those Putinversteher, Walter Steinmeier and his SDP 'buddy', German Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel." 

Furthermore, as reported by William Courtney and Michael Haltzel (left),

"To seek relief from Western sanctions, the Kremlin is waging a campaign of public distortion and intimidation aimed at splitting Europe from America, and Europeans from each other." (Newsweek : 11 June, 2016) (my emphasis)

Is it not ironic that, amongst others, leading German Social Democrats, the French Senate, and Hungary’s right-wing government will give Putin this relief from Western sanctions and, in so doing, aid and abet him in being able to financially afford to de facto annex Ukrainian Crimea?  

As I wrote in my blog entry (Sunday, 5 June 2016),

"Let us not forget that,"...Angela Merkel has a portrait on her desk of Russian empress Catherine the Great, the Prussian-born princess who went on to expand Russia’s territory to the west and the south, including Crimea." (Patrick Donahue and Tino Andresen : Bloomberg : March 4, 2014) 

 

Let us also remind ourselves that, 

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it" (George Santayana)

Where, now, is the outrage of Germany and Putin's other cohorts in the EU against this sneakily Putin-inspired vote by his hand-picked deputies in annexed Ukrainian Crimea? 
 

 (to be continued)