Putin is pulling out all the stops to pressure Trump into 'doing a private deal' with him over Ukraine.

In December of last year, before Trump was inaugurated as President of the US,  Elana Schor and Austin Wright (left) wrote that,

"Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus on Tuesday declined to say whether Trump would keep them [sanctions against Russia] in place, telling MSNBC that “you have to just wait and see.”

Even if the bipartisan House-passed sanctions bill gains Senate traction next year, however, Trump could easily get around it thanks to a provision called a “national security waiver.” It allows the president to ignore provisions of the law if “such a waiver is in the national interests of the United States.” Such a waiver is a common feature of sanctions and other national security-related bills." (Politico : 13/12/2016) (my emphasis)

Then, last Sunday,  Megan Twohey and Scott Shane (right: Scott and Twohey) reported that,

"A week before Michael T. Flynn resigned as national security adviser, a sealed proposal was hand-delivered to his office, outlining a way for President Trump to lift sanctions against Russia. (New York Times : 19 Feb., 2017) (my emphasis)

Lena Surzhko-Harned (left), an expert on Ukrainian politics at University of Pittsburgh, is of the opinion that,

“[This] proposal and the way it’s being unveiled reeks of Kremlin manipulation...Find a low-ranking financially interested goon, prop him up, give him instructions and let the games begin. While I wonder to what extent Trump understands the nuances of the Ukrainian conflict, I sure hope that his new security adviser ... understands broader implications of playing into the Kremlin’s hands in Ukraine.” (Julia Ioffe : The Atlantic : Feb 20, 2017) (my emphasis)

And now, suddenly following close on the heels of this hand-delivered "sealed proposal" to the White House, James Marson (incl. Michael Rothfeld and Alexandra Berzon) reports that,

"Ukraine’s former president, living in self-imposed exile in Russia, has sent President Donald Trump a peace plan on ending the conflict in Ukraine, in the newest freelance effort by a [ex-]Ukrainian politician to reach out to the White House....

The letter is unlikely to be taken seriously or have much chance of success, analysts said, because Mr. Yanukovych (right) has little support in Ukraine and little credibility in the West after he fled to Russia, from where he makes infrequent statements that chime with the Kremlin’s positions." (todayEvery : 22 Feb., 2017) (my emphasis)

This is the same Yanukovich who precipitated the Maidan revolution after stealing billions from the Ukrainian coffers, and who then escaped into the protective embrace of Putin.

It can also be no co-incidence that, notwithstanding the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine (Donbas) recently brokered by no less than that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, Jake Hanrahan reports that,

"A new cease-fire agreement was implemented in Ukraine Monday [20 Feb., 2017], aiming to stem the escalating clashes between Ukrainian fighters and Russian-backed separatists on the ground. Despite hopes that this planned effort would calm recent tensions, there were a reported 200 cease-fire violations on Tuesday night alone." (Vice News : Feb 22, 2017) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as Euan McKirdy (left) reports,

"A day after the head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) warned the ceasefire had failed, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel urged Kiev and Moscow to hold fast to the agreement.

Both sides had agreed to the withdrawal of "heavy weapons and full compliance" with the ceasefire, which was supposed to start Monday, Gabriel said. (Centralillinoisproud : Feb 22, 2017 ) (my emphasis)

But, ominously,

"Speaking Tuesday at the headquarters of the United Nations, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier (right) revealed there had been "no signs of the withdrawal of the weapons." (ibid Euan McKirdy) 

Julia Ioffe argues that,

" ...[I]t would stand to reason that the Kremlin would try to get as much of what it wants in Ukraine as possible before the whole Trump-Putin romance falls apart.

According to my U.S. sources, the Russians started putting sticks in the wheels of the Minsk ceasefire negotiations in October, when they saw Trump’s election as increasingly likely, hoping that with Trump in the White House, they would get more favorable terms in Ukraine." (ibid Julia Ioffe : The Atlantic) (my emphasis)

As more information of the close links between the White House and Putin continues to emerge daily, and which is beginning to cause serious consternation even among Republican senators and congressmen, Putin is now pulling out all the stops to pressure Trump into 'doing a private deal' with him over Ukraine.

For Putin, time is running out fast.

Trump, himself, is beginning to skate on thin ice.

The Trump-Putin 'bromance' is teetering on a cliff-edge.

(to be continued)