Putin, Merkel, and Nord Stream 2

Jack Stubbs and Polina Nikolskaya (left) reports that,

"An escalation in U.S. sanctions against Moscow risks derailing a fragile recovery in Russia’s economy, which had just begun to take hold after the Kremlin’s last confrontation with the West in 2014, analysts and investors said on Monday. 

...

Russia’s rouble suffered its biggest daily fall in over three years on Monday and stocks in major Russian companies also slid, as investors reacted to the new sanctions....[A]luminum giant Rusal (0486.HK) lost over half its value in Hong Kong after its main owner Oleg Deripaska was named on the sanctions list." (Reuters : April 9, 2018) (my emphasis)

By contrast,

"Recent revisions to GDP data revealed that the [Ukrainian] economy performed better last year than previously thought. Strong wage growth, higher government spending and robust investment drove growth in 2017, although soaring imports dampened the external sector’s performance. The available data for the first quarter of 2018 suggests that the recovery remains on track, albeit moderate given the severity of Ukraine’s recession." (Focus Economics : April 10, 2018) (my emphasis) (cf. also: Focus Economics March 29, 2018)

Added to which, as UNIAN reports,

"The EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee (PAC) states that Kyiv has prospects of becoming a member of the European Union provided it complies with certain principles." (UNIAN : 20 April,2018) (my emphasis)

This pronouncement by the PAC will further bolster the positive economic performance of the Ukrainian economy in the coming months.

Not only is Ukraine's economy growing whilst it is at war with Putin's Russia, we now learn that,

"The United State’s 22nd Permanent Representative to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison (left), has guaranteed Ukraine of the United States support for their induction into NATO. She expressed this confidently during a panel discussion at the eleventh Security Forum, which was set-up by the Open Ukraine Fund. She said, “We want Ukraine to become a NATO member, I can assure you.... (Kurt T : SOFREP : 16.04.2018) (my emphasis)

No doubt Putin is spitting nails at this US support for Ukraine joining NATO.

In response to these positive developments for Ukraine,

"Russian-led forces [launched a] savage Grad attack against defenders of Lebedynske in Donbas.
...
Since the beginning of the day, the Ukrainian military have recorded eight militant attacks, including with the use of banned Grad multiple rocket launchers." (UNIAN : 20 April, 2018) (my emphasis)

Putin's soldiers and proxies in Ukrainian Donbas are now also resorting to attacking Ukrainian civilians.

As UNIAN also reports,


"U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker (right) has commented on a recent attack on personnel of Voda Donbasa's Donetsk Water Filtration Plant by Russian-led forces in eastern Ukraine, saying that targeting civilians is unacceptable. "Very worrisome. Targeting civilians is unacceptable: #NotATarget," he tweeted on Tuesday evening." (UNIAN : 17 April, 2018) (my emphasis)

Meanwhile,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday and discussed the situation around Syria and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the Kremlin said" (Polina Devitt : Reuters : April 17, 2018) (my emphasis)

As a sop to those who are against Nord Stream 2,

"Merkel appeared to signal a decrease in support for the planned pipeline last week, saying on April 10 that there were "political considerations" to take into account.
...
She said that she had told Putin by phone that the project could not go ahead without clarity on Ukraine's role as a gas transit route." (RFE/RL : April 17, 2018) (my emphasis) 

In this I am somewhat reminded of that secret Treaty of Rapallo (1922) between Germany and the then Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, in particular Article 5, which states that,

"Article 5: The two Governments shall co-operate in a spirit of mutual goodwill in meeting the economic needs of both countries. In the event of a fundamental settlement of the above question on an international basis, an exchange of opinions shall previously take place between the two Governments. The German Government, having lately been informed of the proposed agreements of private firms, declares its readiness to give all possible support to these arrangements and to facilitate their being carried into effect. (Wikipedia) (my emphasis) 

So what, exactly, did Putin and Merkel whisper into each other's ears during their recent phone conversation?

Is it also purely co-incidental that,

"Germany's Europe minister [Michael Roth (left), a member of the Social Democrat party (SPD)] called on Monday for a new policy of easing tensions with Russia, adding to a chorus of voices pressing Chancellor Angela Merkel to moderate her hardened stance towards the Kremlin." (The Hindu (Reuters) :  April 16, 2018) (my emphasis)

One can already hear the distant thud of German Business Jackboots trampling all over Ukraine towards Putin's Russia.

(to be continued)