There is very little that Putin can now do to save the Trump presidency.

On 3rd August I queried,

"Why is Trump so fearful of Putin?" 

Could it just be [because of some of the contents of] that Steele dossier that Putin is holding over the head of Trump?" (blog entry 3/08/2017)

It now transpires, as reported by Josh Dawsey and Elana Schor that,

 "President Donald Trump privately vented his frustration over Russia-related matters with at least two other Republican senators this month, according to people familiar with the conversations — in addition to the president's public admonishments of Mitch McConnell, John McCain and Jeff Flake.
.......
"Trump ... complained about the Russian sanctions measure in a call with McConnell earlier this month that devolved into shouting. The New York Times first reported that Trump discussed the Russia probe with McConnell.

"It seems he is just always focused on Russia," one senior GOP aide said." (Politico :23/08/2017) (my emphasis)

Let us remind  ourselves that the US sanctions against Putin stem from his illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea in 2014 in the aftermath of the 2014 Maidan revolution, and his subsequent ongoing war in the Donbas with Ukraine, which was then followed by yet more US sanctions against Putin for his meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections, which ultimately led to Trump now occupying the Oval Office. 

Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin also report that,

"...[Senator] Mr. McConnell (right) has privately expressed uncertainty that Mr. Trump will be able to salvage his administration after a series of summer crises." (New York Times : Aug. 22, 2017) (my emphasis)

And now, Trump's 'summer crises' has just taken another turn for the worse, to the consternation, no doubt, of Putin himself.

It has now been reported that,

"Glenn Simpson (left), the former journalist who helped compile the Russia dossier with allegations of collusion by President Donald Trump's top aides, spoke with staff on the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday for more than 10 hours." (Tom LoBianco and Ted Barrett :CNN : August 23, 2017) (my emphasis)

(A more detailed video report by Rachel Maddow)

The truths contained in this dossier are now bubbling to the surface, and it is not only Trump who is being consumed with the Mueller probe into the collusion between himself, his pre- and post-election acolytes, and Putin.

Even Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and one of his chief White House advisors, is also beginning to feel the heat of the Mueller investigation.

The fact that Trump now stands at the precipice of impeachment cannot be re-assuring for Putin. 

What is most disturbing for Putin is the fact that the new US sanctions that Trump has been forced to sign into law,

" .... would almost surely affect a controversial pipeline project between Russia and Germany known as Nord Stream 2, which is owned by Gazprom but includes financial stakes from European companies." ( Steven Erlanger and Neil MacFarquhar : New York Times : July 25, 2017)

Could it be that the effect of the new US sanctions against Putin will directly affect the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany?

Could this also be the reason why Trump is so vexed about about the current US sanctions against Putin? Why he has had a 'shouting match' with Republican Senate leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, over those new US sanctions against Putin?

There is very little that Putin can now do to save the Trump presidency.

And as the truths contained in the Steel dossier now begin to take centre-stage in the Senate Judiciary Committee's investigation into the Putin-Trump connection during the 2016 US presidential elections, Trump's fear of Putin will only increase.

The question still remains,

"Why is Trump so fearful of Putin?" 

 

The scarlet thread of Maidan continues to wind itself tightly around both Putin and Trump.

(to be continued)