Is Putin now "banking $$$" on success in the German Chancellor and French Presidential elections in 2017?

Since the election success of Donald Trump for the US Presidency, the international political tectonic plates continues to grind out political uncertainties as Trump by-passes the US State Department by using Twitter as his diplomatic channel.

A Twitter account, it would seem, is now taking on the mantle of a prime diplomatic and propaganda tool of many in the political world.

Thus it is that as soon as Matteo Renzi lost in his bid to change the Italian political establishment, Marine Le Pen, Putin's French Admirer',  quickly 'tweeted' to her political followers that,

"The Italians have disavowed the EU and Renzi. We must listen to this thirst for freedom of nations.”

And whilst Renzi is now licking his political wounds, Putin is moving very fast to present the incoming President of the US, Donald Trump, with a 'fait accompli' over Ukraine.

This is best summed up by his 'dyed-in-the-wool' Soviet Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.

As reported by UT,

‘I'll be honest, I don't understand why the so called anti-terrorist operation is still going on in Ukraine and the leaders of the self-proclaimed republics are called terrorists and separatists', Lavrov said, according to Russian media agencies. " (UT : Dec. 3, 2016) (my emphasis)

And whilst Lavrov is feigning confusion,

"Russia-backed militants fired at the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 44 times over the past 24 hours in all sectors, Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation HQ reprts.

Hardest situation noted again in the Mariupol sector. Here Russian proxies used the heavy artillery of 152mm and 122mm calibre, hitting Ukrainian positions in the villages of Shyrokyne and Berdianske. Also mortar shelling and light armour attacks reported in this direction." (UT : Dec. 3, 2016) (cf also Unian Information Agency : 03 December 2016)

But Putin is not quite having it all his own way.

As reported by Interfax-Ukraine,

"The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the issue of $3.42 billion to the Pentagon in the coming financial year within the initiative to support security in Europe, according to the Deutsche Welle edition, with reference to the document posted on the website of the U.S. Congress.

According to the publication, the United States plans to pass to the preferential support of partners and allies in Europe to contain the Russian Federation.

According to the document, it is also planned to limit military cooperation between the United States and Russia" (Interfax-Ukraine : 03.12.2016) (my emphasis)

Added to which,

"Ukraine says it has successfully completed the first of two days of missile tests over the Black Sea, west of the Crimea peninsula." (BBC News : 1 December 2016) (my emphasis)

As to be expected, and as reported by Tom Batchelor,

"VLADIMIR Putin's warships have been dispatched to Crimea's western coastline in response to the start of Ukrainian missile tests nearby, as tensions in the region reach fever pitch." (Expess : Fri, Dec 2, 2016) (my emphasis)

And at the latest round of talks in Minsk about the implementation of Minsk 2, RFE/RL reports that,

"Talks in Minsk on resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine have ended with the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany all saying no new breakthroughs were made.(left: Lavrov, Klimkin, Ayrault, Steinmeier) .....

Lavrov also rejected the idea of setting up a militarized monitoring mission in southeastern Ukraine under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). (RFE/RL : November 29, 2016) (my emphasis)

This rejection of an 'armed' OSCE monitoring mission by Lavrov no doubt sits very well with the current President of the OSCE, none other than the Putinversteher Steinmeier himself.

And it is has also been reported by Andreas Rinke and Andrea Shalal that Steinmeier is on the brink of becoming Germany's next President.

"Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives agreed on Monday to back Social Democrat Frank-Walter Steinmeier as Germany's next president, creating a vacancy at the foreign ministry at a critical moment in relations with Russia and the United States." (Reuters : Mon Nov 14, 2016)

Luxembuger Wort then reported that,

"...... Steinmeier could be replaced by European Parliament president Martin Schulz (right), a Social Democrat, as foreign minister." (Luxembuger Wort: Monday, 14 November, 2016) (my emphasis)

Is Merkel replacing Putinversteher Steinmeier with  Putinversteher Schulz?

Both Steinmeier and Schulz are protégé 's of Gerhard Schröder, former Chancellor of Germany who now works for Putin's Gazprom.

Since 1999, Schulz has been part of the SPD leadership, first under party chairman Gerhard Schröder (1999–2004), and currently under Sigmar Gabriel. (Wikipedia)

Many in the German SDP would like to see Schulz face Merkel in next year's upcoming  elections for German chancellor. 

He would, however, have a tough battle on his hands against Merkel. Her popularity rating in Germany is something that many western politicians only dream about. (cf Politico: 25/11/16)

Putin may not be eyeing the upcoming German Chancellorship election as much as he will be eyeing the French presidential elections in May of next year.

Which brings us back to the 'Putin lover', Marine Le Pen.

Helene Fouquet reported that,

"Marine Le Pen’s National Front party is reaching out to Russian banks for the 25 million euros ($27.7 million) it needs to bankroll its 2017 presidential campaign, the party’s treasurer Wallerand de Saint Just said.

“I will look for funds where I know I might get them,” Saint Just said in a telephone interview. “I found some financing there in 2014, so yes I am going to try again.” (Bloomberg : February 19, 2016) (my emphasis)

Let us also not forget that,

"Le Pen's party received a loan of 11 million euro from a bank with ties to Russia in 2014. At that time, French politicians and media claimed that the loan bought the party's public support of Russia's actions in Ukraine, the Meduza news agency reported.

Le Pen's party claimed that the results of the Crimea referendum in 2014, followed by the annexation of the peninsula by Russia, were legitimate, and also criticized the implementation of European Union's sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine." (The Moscow Times : Feb 19, 2016) (my emphasis)

Can Le Pen do a 'Donald Trump'?

Putin is banking ($$$) on it! 

(to be continued)