Neither Putin nor Trump can stop the unravelling of their political "bromance"

On Monday 24 April Joe Sheppard reported that,

"An American paramedic working with a security watchdog in eastern Ukraine has been killed after the vehicle he was in drove over a mine.

The US citizen, who has not been named, was part of a patrol involved in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Special Monitoring mission in the country.

Two other monitors, a German and a Czech, were injured in the blast, near Luhansk. It has led US officials to call for a 'full, transparent investigation'." (Mail Online : 24 April, 2017) (my emphasis)

Sergei Ryabkov, Lavrov's second-in-command at Putin's Foreign Ministry,

" ...said the incident would be discussed at a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday between Lamberto Zannier, the secretary general of the OSCE, and Sergei Lavrov (left), the Russian foreign minister.
.......
The Russian foreign ministry said on Sunday the circumstances pointed to likely provocation aimed at undermining the peace process. " (ibid Joe Sheppard) (my emphasis)

Is Lavrov implying that this OSCE patrol deliberately drove over over a mine so that they could be killed, thus undermining the implementation of the Minsk2 protocols?

 And what was US Secretay of State, Rex Tillerson's, response?

"Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accepted condolences from Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko and said Moscow's actions in eastern Ukraine "remain an obstacle" to improved relations between the US and the Kremlin." (Sky News : Monday 24 April 2017) (my emphasis)

 In other words, Tillerson's prime concern seems to be re-invigorating the 'bromance' between Trump and Putin whilst paying lip-service to the full implementation of the Minsk2 protocols, as expressed by US State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

'This tragic incident makes clear the need for all sides - and particularly the Russian-led separatist forces - to implement their commitments under the Minsk agreements immediately,' Toner said." (ibid Joe Sheppard)

Now recall that, as reported by Nick Wadhams and John Follain,

" .. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson left European diplomats befuddled at a gathering in Italy.

“Why should U.S. taxpayers be interested in Ukraine?” Tillerson asked foreign ministers discussing Russia’s intervention there at a Group of Seven gathering Tuesday in Lucca, Italy." (Bloomberg Politics : 11 April 2017) (my emphasis)

Anne Applebaum (below right) amongst many others, responded to Tillerson's question by stating that,

"Tillerson’s question, rhetorical or otherwise, therefore deserves a response. For the answer is yes: U.S. taxpayers should be interested in Ukraine. But not necessarily for reasons that would make sense to an oil company’s CEO.

• The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in 2014 were an open attack on the principle of border security in Europe
• Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an aggressive, emboldened Russia increasingly threatens European security and prosperity, as well as Europe’s alliance with the United States. Russia supports anti-American, anti-NATO and indeed anti-democratic political candidates all across the continent
• Over the long term, these policies threaten U.S. business interests and U.S. political interests all across the continent and around the world. (Washington POst : 14 April, 2017) (my emphasis) (cf. also: Richard Haass)

Recall that in my blog entry (Thursday 20 April, 2017) I wrote that,

"The indelible links between the Kremlin and Trump and his associates, both during and after the US presidential elections, continues to emerge into the light of day.

We are therefore left with two possible intriguing questions.

• Is Donald Trump's recent bombing in Syria, and his current dangerous stand-off with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, his way of attempting to deflect the eyes of the American people away from the active involvement of Putin and his Kremlin 'siloviki' in helping him gain the White House?

• And is the current attempt by Exxon Mobil to obtain  a waiver from sanctions on Russia in an effort to restart its joint venture with state oil company PAO Rosneft a hint that Putin is now demanding 'payback' for getting Trump into the White House?"

It would now seem that Trump, his White House associates, Senate Republicans, and Congressional Republicans, are now trying to stymie the Senate and House Intelligence investigations into how Putin helped him gain the US presidency.

 24 April, 2017

More recently (25 April, 2017),

This stymieing by Republicans of the Senate and House Intelligence investigations into how Putin helped Donald Trump gain the US presidency dovetails with Tillerson's prime concern that the death of an American OSCE paramedic in the Donbas (ibid Joe Sheppard) is merely "an obstacle" to improved relations between the US and the Kremlin ".

That Tillerson is being guided by both Donald Trump and Putin to "improve relations between the US and Russia" is exemplified by both the fact that he regards the death of an American OSCE paramedic in the Donbas as merely an obstacle to be overcome, as well as by the fact that, as Elena Holodny and Natasha Bertrand (left) have recently informed us,

"Exxon Mobil Corp. applied to the Treasury Department for a waiver from sanctions on Russia in an effort to restart its joint venture with state oil company PAO Rosneft, according to the Wall Street Journal's Jay Solomon and Bradley Olson." (Business Insider UK : Apr. 19, 2017) (my emphasis)".

But, as Anne Applebaum states,

"U.S. taxpayers should be interested in Ukraine. But not necessarily for reasons that would make sense to an oil company’s CEO."

And the interest of US taxpayers in the war between Putin and Ukraine in the Donbas, and Putin's illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea, will continue to increase as the political pressures to completely unravel just how Putin helped Trump gain the White House continues to build up.

(to be continued)

Is Putin now demanding 'payback' for getting Trump into the White House?

In yesterday's blog I wrote that,

"Now, however, Trump is staring into the abyss of precipitating World War III.

But in so doing Trump has, unwittingly, deflected the gaze of the world from the fact that Putin propelled him into the White House in the hope that the EU-US sanctions against him, precipitated by his annexation of Crimea and his war with Ukraine in the Donbas, will be lifted." (blog entry : 18th April, 2017)

Today, Elena Holodny and Natasha Bertrand (left) inform us that,

"Exxon Mobil Corp. applied to the Treasury Department for a waiver from sanctions on Russia in an effort to restart its joint venture with state oil company PAO Rosneft, according to the Wall Street Journal's Jay Solomon and Bradley Olson." (Business Insider UK : Apr. 19, 2017) (my emphasis)

Let us remind ourselves that,

"... US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is the former CEO of Exxon. He has close personal ties with Russia, has struck several major deals with Rosneft in the past, and received the Order of Friendship award from President Vladimir Putin in 2013." (ibid Holodny and Betrand) (my emphasis)

At the end of Rachel Maddow's report on Eric Prince acting as a Trump envoy in Russian meetings, she also describes the links between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Exxon Mobil, Russia's 'Rosneft' oil company, Putin, and the instigation of US sanctions by Obama against Putin because  of Putin's annexation on Ukrainian Crimea and his war with Ukraine in the Donbas. (MSNBC : 19 April, 2017)

Obama's sanctions against Putin put paid to a possible $500 billion investment in oil exploration in the Kara Sea AND in the Black Sea bordering Crimea.

It is therefore no co-incidence that yesterday,

"Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday called for Western sanctions on Russia to be maintained in order to keep the Kremlin in line and to ensure the success of Ukraine's own economic reform program.

"We need firm support for Ukraine reform... To proceed, sanctions should stay firm on Russia - this is the only mechanism to keep Russia at the negotiating table," Poroshenko told a conference in London." (Reuters : 19th April, 2017) (my emphasis)

Poroshenko also met with UK Prime Minister Teresa May who,

" .... vowed to support Ukraine in the face of the “threat” from Moscow as she welcomes Petro Poroshenko to Downing Street.

She told the Ukrainian president the UK stood “ready to support” his country.

Mrs May said she would continue to press for sanctions to remain in place against Russia until the Minsk agreement on a political settlement was fully implemented." (Mail Online (Press Association): 19 April 2017) (my emphasis)

And whilst Exxon Mobil seeks a waiver from sanctions on Russia in an effort to restart its joint venture with state oil company PAO Rosneft, and the UK Prime Minister continues to press for sanctions to remain in place against Russia until the Minsk agreement on a political settlement was fully implemented, it is now coming to light that Eric Prince, the brother of the current Trump-appointed Secretary for Education, Betsy DeVos, acted as a Trump envoy in Russian meetings.

As reported by Keri Geiger and Michael Riley,

"In the very public, post-election parade of dignitaries, confidantes and job-seekers filing in and out of Donald Trump’s marquee Manhattan tower, Blackwater founder Erik Prince (right) was largely out of sight. And yet Prince was very much a presence, providing advice to Trump’s inner circle, including his top national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, according to people familiar with his activities." (Bloomberg : 18 April,2017) (my emphasis)

The indelible links between the Kremlin and Trump and his associates, both during and after the US presidential elections, continues to emerge into the light of day.

We are therefore left with two possible intriguing questions.

• Is Donald Trump's recent bombing in Syria, and his current dangerous stand-off with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, his way of attempting to deflect the eyes of the American people away from the active involvement of Putin and his Kremlin 'siloviki' in helping him gain the White House?

• And is the current attempt by Exxon Mobil to obtain  a waiver from sanctions on Russia in an effort to restart its joint venture with state oil company PAO Rosneft a hint that Putin is now demanding 'payback' for getting Trump into the White House?

(to be continued)

The scarlet thread of Maidan is having unforseen consequences that no-one could have ever predicted.

In 1999, a month after being appointed by Yeltsin as Prime Minister of Russia, Putin rose from being an unknown politician likely to loose the upcoming Russian presidential election, to becoming the most popular politician in Russia and, subsequently, President of Russia

Putin's rise to power was on the back of the second Chechen war that was precipitated by the Moscow bombings in 1999 that many, up to today, believe have Putin's FSB fingerprints all over it.(full video)

Fast forward to 2017, and a lowly rated President Trump suddenly finds his Presidential ratings moving up as he confronts North Korean's Kim Jong-un. (full video)

Separated by almost two decades, and having totally different precipitating circumstances, these two events, nonetheless, bear some rather striking similarities.

In the first instance it propelled Putin into the Kremlin, just as the second instance now seem to be suddenly increasing the 'presidential stature' of Donald Trump.

In the second instance, Putin unleashed a horrific war against the Chechen people, just as Trump's actions may precipitate Kim Jong-un unleashing a horrific war against the people of South Korea.

Putin, in the recent past, brought the world to the brink of World War III.

Now, however, Trump is staring into the abyss of precipitating World War III.

But in so doing Trump has, unwittingly, deflected the gaze of the world from the fact that Putin propelled him into the White House in the hope that the EU-US sanctions against him, precipitated by his annexation of Crimea and his war with Ukraine in the Donbas, will be lifted.

The investigations of the Senate and Congressional Intelligence Committees in the US continue to unearth the indelible links between the Kremlin and Trump and his associates during the US presidential elections.

The Rachel Maddow Show 13/04/17

So, in helping Donald Trump reach the US White House Putin, expecting 'payback' in the form of Trump undoing US sanctions against Russia, has put a man in the US White House who now stands on the verge of precipitating World War III.

The scarlet thread of Maidan is having unforseen consequences that no-one could have ever predicted. 

(to be continued)

The scarlet thread of Maidan continues to entangle Trump and Putin.

On Tuesday, 21 March 2017 I wrote that,

"Tillerson's scurrying off to the Kremlin next month, and foregoing his first meeting with all NATO members,  just as the Congressional and Senate investigations into Putin's direct intervention in the US presidential elections are set in motion, signals that both Putin and Trump are beginning to panic." (blog entry : Tuesday, 21 March 2017)

Since then, the Syrian crises caused by Bashar Al Assad 'gassing' his people, and North Korea,

" ...  threatening "tough counteraction" after a U.S. Navy strike group was routed toward the Korean Peninsula following the rogue nation's continued ballistic missile and nuclear testing" (NPR : April 11, 2017),

has only served to compound the disarray that now grips Trump's White House. 

And then, just as he is about to leave for Moscow, Rex Tillerson (right) sparks off consternation at the G7 gathering yesterday in Lucca, Italy by remarking that,

“Why should U.S. taxpayers be interested in Ukraine?” Tillerson asked foreign ministers discussing Russia’s intervention there ... " (Nick Wadhams and John Follain : Bloomberg : 11 April 2017) (my emphasis)

To which Jean-Marc Ayrault (left), the French Foreign Minister, had responded that,

"... American taxpayers ought to want a European Union that’s “strong politically, strong from a security point of view, and strong economically." (ibid Wadhams & Follain) (my emphasis)

It should also be noted that Tillerson,

"...  flew to Russia immediately after the gathering and was not immediately available for comment." (Crispian Balmer (right): Business Insider UK (Reuters) : Apr. 11, 2017) (my emphasis) 

John McLaughlin, former CIA Deputy Director, in an interview with MSNBC's Lawrence O' Donnell, clearly explains the importance of Ukraine to the US as outlined to him by a Member of the Ukrainian Rada.

Now we should bear in mind that Tillerson himself only recently,

".. has argued that the U.S. and Europe should not lift its sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine and annexing Crimea.

“The reason the sanctions were put in place continue to exist,” Tillerson said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

“There’s been no change of the status of the situation in Ukraine or Crimea. And those sanctions will remain in place until those issues are addressed.” (Olivia Beavers (left): The Hill :  11/04/17) (my emphasis)

It is true that the 'reason' the sanctions were put in place viz. the annexation of Ukrainian Crimea by Putin, and his continuing war with Ukraine in the Donbas, does, indeed, continue to exist.

As UNIAN reports,

"Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 45 times in the past 24 hours with five Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters" (UNIAN : 12 April 2017) (my emphasis)

What is rather disconcerting about Tillerson's remark “Why should U.S. taxpayers be interested in Ukraine?” is that it calls into question his earlier assertion that, "“There’s been no change of the status of the situation in Ukraine or Crimea. And those sanctions will remain in place until those issues are addressed.”.

The key phrase is, " ...  those sanctions will remain in place until those issues are addressed.”.

 Tillerson gives no hint whatsoever whether 'addressing those issues" refers to the full institution of the Minsk2 protocols, or to some 'other' form of addressing Putin's war with Ukraine and his illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea. 

Tillerson NEVER mentions the Minsk2 protocols!

Which, once again, brings us back to the mounting evidence of the possible collusion between Trump and his associates, and Putin, in getting Trump elected into the White House.

 

 Yesterday's (11 April, 2017) breaking news on this front continues to unveil the close links between Trump's election associates and Putin.

The US Congressional Intelligence Committee is once again on track in their investigations into the extent to which Putin assisted in the election of Trump into the White House.

As Bashar al Assad's use of chemical bombs against Syrian civilians begins to recede into the background, so are the direct links between Trump and Putin during the US presidential elections once again moving to the forefront.

Neither Trump nor Putin can escape from the scarlet thread of Maidan that continues to entangle them.

 

(to be continued)

Putin praying for a Marine Le Pen victory in French Presidential elections

Since the 'Putin-aided' election of Donald Trump to the US White House, we all seem to be now living in an almost "Alice In Wonderland" world of US politics.


Trump, it would seem, has embraced the "THREE D's" that underpins the Presidency of Putin viz.

Spread seeds of DOUBT,

Wear the cloak of DENIAL and, finally,

Create an interlocking web of DECEPTION.

And whilst many Trump-friendly political commentators are running down false rabbit holes being dug by Trump and his White House acolytes, UNIAN reported that,

"The Trilateral Contact Group has welcomed the determination demonstrated by all the participants in the Minsk process to ensure a full ceasefire prior to Easter holidays, which will enter into force on April 1, 2017" (UNIAN : 29 March 2017) (my emphasis)

However yesterday (4 April, 2017), as UNIAN now reports,

"There were two killed in action (KIA) and another five wounded in action (WIA)," Defense Ministry speaker for Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) issues Oleksandr Motuzianyk said at a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday, April 4, an UNIAN correspondent reported. 

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 48 times in the past 24 hours." (UNIAN : 04 April 2017) (my emphasis)

Overwhelmed not only by Putin's meddling in the US Presidential elections, but also by reports now identifying his meddling in the upcoming French presidential elections, as well as the German Chancellorship elections later this year, Putin's war with Ukraine has now been pushed off the front page of political news.

Yet all this meddling by Putin in the elections of the US, France, and Germany is to achieve, among other objectives, to get the millstone of US-EU sanctions off his neck.

In this endeavor, his 'blossoming romance' with Marine Le Pen is beginning to pay dividends.

As reported by Pauline Bock (right),

"The candidates most probable to reach the second round are currently Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron. Some polls put Macron leading the first round, but Le Pen has a stronger base: her voters are much less likely to change their minds." (New Statesman : 4 April, 2017)

However, the success of Brexit and Donald Trump is a 'cautionary tale' about poll predictions.  

In both of these cases the polls were hopelessly wrong. The predictions of the pollsters failed miserably.

Putin is now banking on these failures in the hope that Marine Le Pen will surprise everyone by being elected President of France.

Then that US-EU sanctions millstone around his neck will be finally lifted off.

(to be contoinued)