For both Trump and Putin, speed is now of the essence to get the US sanctions unilaterally lifted.

In yesterday's blog entry I wrote that,
 
"Already Trump is on the verge of ending the sanctions imposed upon Putin by former president Obama because of Putin's meddling in the US presidential elections.

Is this the thin end of Trump's wedge to lift those US sanctions imposed upon Putin because of his annexation of Ukrainian Crimea and his ongoing war with Ukraine?

Will Trump now use the excuse of distancing himself from Europe to also get Putin off the sanctions hook?" (blog entry June 1, 2017)


It now transpires that the Trump administration tried to unilaterally lift the sanctions on Putin and his cronies within weeks of taking over the White House.. (Brian Williams Report: June 1, 2017: 11.01 pm ET)

It would now seem that Trump and his cronies in the White House are somewhat at 'panic stations' to get these sanctions lifted as soon as possible, especially in light of the impending appearance of James Comey, former FBI director, at the Senate Intelligence Committee next week.

Even more significant is the fact that,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested "patriotic" Russian citizens might be engaged in hacking.

Such individuals might be joining "the justified fight against those speaking ill of Russia," he said.
Like "artists" who get up and paint all day, he added, hackers spend their day attacking adversaries." (BBC News : 1 June 2017) (my emphasis)

By publicly undermining Trump's constant refrain that Russian hackers were not responsible for the hacking of Hilary Clinton and the DNC during the US presidential elections, is Putin signalling to Trump that he could also publicly release all the dirt he has on Trump unless Trump quickly gets rid of ALL US sanctions against him and his cronies? (cf: Guardian : Steele Confidential Report)

Just as Putin has now publicly humiliated Trump, James Comey's appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee next week will pull the rug out from under the feet of Trump.  

But Putin himself is now also panicking because the scarlet thread of Maidan is inexorably dragging Trump towards towards the dock of impeachment. 

For both Trump and Putin, speed is now of the essence to get the US sanctions unilaterally lifted. 

Ukrainians from Dnepropetrovsk (Dnipro) who have 

so far died in Putin's war with Ukraine

 

(to be continued)