Putin, Steinmeier, and Renzi. Comrades in arms.

The Putinversteher German Foreign Minister Walter Steinmeier, and Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, have respectively thrown a bombshell under NATO's increasing preparedness against Putin's military build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainain and Baltic states borders, as well as under the EU sanctions against Putin.
 

At the 2016 Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF),

"Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi shared the stage with Putin on Friday, in a move that was criticized by some EU countries – typically those on Russia's border – that strike a hard line on Moscow." (Katy Barnato : CNBC : Friday, 17 Jun 2016)(my emphasis)

This 'cameraderie' between Putin and Renzi is further reflected in the fact that,

"Italian companies have signed deals worth more than 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion) with Russian firms at an economic forum in St. Petersburg, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Friday.
 ...
"These are deals which are all legitimate within the context of the sanctions regime because we respect all the rules," Renzi told reporters. He said the accords "potentially open the way to deals worth between 4 and 5 billion euros". (Reuters : Mail Online : 17 June 2016) (my emphasis)

Renzi further repeated that,

"....sanctions against Russia should not be renewed automatically." (ibid Reuters : Mail Online)

Meanwhile Steinmeier, who under former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder was responsible for co-ordinating Germany's intelligence services, (Wikipedia), (right: Steinmeier and Schröder)

"...has criticized NATO's decision to stage military maneuvers in eastern Europe, warning such moves could worsen tensions with Russia. 

Steinmeier's Social Democrats (SPD) generally back a more conciliatory stance toward Russia than Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc." (Michael Nienaber : Reuters : Sat Jun 18, 2016)
 
Let us remind ourselves that Gerhard Schröder now works for Putin's Gazprom!

Let us also remind ourselves that last month it was Steinmeier who suggested that,

""I hope that by the end of June there will be progress and then we can see if we can reduce the sanctions step by step, or if we stay with the measures we have right now," Steinmeier told reporters on a visit to Tallinn on May 27." (Turkish Weekly : June 19, 2016) (my emphasis)

Andrius Sytas (right) also reported that,

"Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Hungary and Bulgaria are among EU states skeptical that sanctions should be extended, diplomats said, facing off against Britain, Sweden, Poland and the Baltic states. ( Reuters : Thu May 26, 2016) (my emphasis)

If, during the upcoming Brexit referendum in Britain, the British public vote to leave the EU, this will not only undermine Angela Merkel, who is less conciliatory towards Putin than Steinmeier, but will also mean that Putin's 'friends' in the EU will be in the driving seat when the EU's sanctions against him come up for renewal in July of this year.

 We can then also expect the Minsk2 protocols to be thrown into the dustbin of history.

Putin's glee at a Brexit is best illustrated by the fact that he laughingly stated,

"The fighting between Russian fans with the English, that is a disgrace," he said at the country's annual economic forum in Saint Petersburg on Friday.

"But I truly don't understand how 200 of our fans could beat up several thousand English," he added to laughs and applause from the audience." (Sky News : Friday 17 June 2016) (my emphasis)

Yet as reported by Jon Coates,

"Russian thugs face attempted murder charges for attacking England football supporters with iron bars in Marseilles last week.

Up to 200 hardcore [Russian] hooligans, known as Ultras, ambushed England fans before the Euro 2016 match in the French city on June 11, leaving several lying unconscious in pools of blood.

(Video footage filmed by Russian Ultras)

Yesterday a spokesman for Marseilles prosecutors said: “Such facts have led to us investigating an attack on two England fans as attempted murder. We are interviewing witnesses and looking through some 200 hours of video footage to find all those responsible.” (Express : Sun, Jun 19, 2016) (my emphasis)

 

Yet Walter Steinmeier and Matteo Renzi are leading the charge not to renew sanctions against Putin, just as,

"More Russian military hardware and fuel materials are reported to have been deployed to the militant-occupied city of Khartsyzk in the Donetsk region." (UT : Jun. 12, 2016)

Let us also remind ourselves of what U.N. Human Rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani recently said.

“There have been strongly credible reports of servicemen from across the border from Russia coming into and out of Ukrainian territory," she said. "And, the same goes for heavy weaponry as well. There have been very credible reports.” (Lisa Schlein : VOA : June 03, 2016) (my emphasis)

Is it any wonder that NATO members Poland and the Baltic states, in particular, are concerned by Putin's military build-up on the Ukrainian and Baltic borders, as well as within the Donbas territory of eastern Ukraine, where there are more than 10,000 active Russian soldiers?

(to be continued)