The fallout in the US of the recent Trump-Putin 'private' meeting in Helsinki continues to mount.
Each day brings new concerns about what Trump and Putin agreed to during their more that 2 hour 'private' meeting.
Not more so than by the recent pronouncement by the Kremlin that,
"The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is ready for the practical implementation of the agreements reached at the meeting of Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Helsinki. This was stated by Major-General Igor Konashenkov. (left)
As noted, the Russian military are ready to "intensify contacts with their American counterparts in the General Staff and other channels of communication to discuss the extension of the START Treaty, the interaction in Syria, as well as other topical issues of ensuring military security." (RG-RU : 17/7/2018) (my emphasis) (google translate)
Surprisingly, and to their consternation, US generals were not informed about these 'agreements' between Trump and Putin.
If Trump and Putin's 'private' Helsinki meeting is causing serious consternation amongst US army generals, then what are we now to make of the 'private' meeting between Angela Merkel, the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, AND the head of Russia’s military general staff Valery Gerasimov?
As Madeline Chambers reports,
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Berlin on Tuesday (23/7/2018) to discuss Syria, the situation in the Middle East and the conflict in Ukraine, Germany’s deputy government spokeswoman said.
The meeting, agreed last week by Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, was also attended by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and the head of Russia’s military general staff Valery Gerasimov, said the spokeswoman in a statement. No further details were given." (Reuters : July 24, 2018) (my emphasis)
As in the case of the Trump-Putin 'private' meeting, what was discussed between Merkel, Haas, Lavrov, and Gerasimov?
What agreements were reached between them in Berlin regarding Putin's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine?
Exactly the same question can be posed regarding the 'agreements' reached between Putin and Trump at Helsinki!
We now have yet another 'confirmation' from Putin's aide, Yuri Ushakov (left), that,
" ... the issue of holding a local referendum [on the regional status of] eastern Ukraine's Donbas was being discussed at the Helsinki talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. "This proposal was discussed, while there has been no reaction yet," Ushakov told the Izvestia newspaper.
...
Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, confirmed that Putin had raised the topic with Trump, saying Putin made “concrete proposals” on how to handle the ongoing conflict." (UNIAN : 25 July, 2018) (my emphasis)
Was this 'referendum' of Putin that he proposed to Trump at Helsinki also 'discussed' at the Berlin meeting between Merkel, Haas, Lavrov, and Gerasimov?
And if so, what agreements were reached?
Bear in mind that at the Putin-Merkel meeting in Sochi (18 May,2018), Merkel concluded that,
"We have strategic interests to maintain good relations with Russia ..."
To which Putin responded,
"Germany is one of our key trade partners ... We just started to buy German goods in higher volumes, which supports jobs in Germany"
Furthermore, bear in mind that at the recent NATO meeting in Brussels,
" U.S. President Donald Trump laced into Germany ahead of a high-stakes NATO leaders’ summit in Brussels, declaring at a breakfast meeting Wednesday morning that Germany is “totally controlled by Russia” and lashing out at the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project." (
Added to which, as reported by UNIAN,
"Ukraine and the United States have a common understanding of how to counteract the implementation of the Russian Nord Stream 2 project, which appears a direct threat to the energy security of Europe and worsens the situation with the diversification of energy deliveries to European consumers," the press service of Ukraine's Cabinet said in a statement on Monday, July 23. (UNIAN : 23 July, 2018) (my emphasis)
So the question now is :-
"Will Merkel be swayed to agree to Putin's 'referendum' so that Nord Stream 2 can go ahead unhindred"?
(to be continued)
Each day brings new concerns about what Trump and Putin agreed to during their more that 2 hour 'private' meeting.
Not more so than by the recent pronouncement by the Kremlin that,
"The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is ready for the practical implementation of the agreements reached at the meeting of Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Helsinki. This was stated by Major-General Igor Konashenkov. (left)As noted, the Russian military are ready to "intensify contacts with their American counterparts in the General Staff and other channels of communication to discuss the extension of the START Treaty, the interaction in Syria, as well as other topical issues of ensuring military security." (RG-RU : 17/7/2018) (my emphasis) (google translate)
Surprisingly, and to their consternation, US generals were not informed about these 'agreements' between Trump and Putin.
If Trump and Putin's 'private' Helsinki meeting is causing serious consternation amongst US army generals, then what are we now to make of the 'private' meeting between Angela Merkel, the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, AND the head of Russia’s military general staff Valery Gerasimov?
Merkel Haas Lavrov Gerasimov
As Madeline Chambers reports,
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Berlin on Tuesday (23/7/2018) to discuss Syria, the situation in the Middle East and the conflict in Ukraine, Germany’s deputy government spokeswoman said.
The meeting, agreed last week by Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, was also attended by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and the head of Russia’s military general staff Valery Gerasimov, said the spokeswoman in a statement. No further details were given." (Reuters : July 24, 2018) (my emphasis)
As in the case of the Trump-Putin 'private' meeting, what was discussed between Merkel, Haas, Lavrov, and Gerasimov?
What agreements were reached between them in Berlin regarding Putin's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine?
Exactly the same question can be posed regarding the 'agreements' reached between Putin and Trump at Helsinki!
We now have yet another 'confirmation' from Putin's aide, Yuri Ushakov (left), that," ... the issue of holding a local referendum [on the regional status of] eastern Ukraine's Donbas was being discussed at the Helsinki talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. "This proposal was discussed, while there has been no reaction yet," Ushakov told the Izvestia newspaper.
...
Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, confirmed that Putin had raised the topic with Trump, saying Putin made “concrete proposals” on how to handle the ongoing conflict." (UNIAN : 25 July, 2018) (my emphasis)
Was this 'referendum' of Putin that he proposed to Trump at Helsinki also 'discussed' at the Berlin meeting between Merkel, Haas, Lavrov, and Gerasimov?
And if so, what agreements were reached?
Bear in mind that at the Putin-Merkel meeting in Sochi (18 May,2018), Merkel concluded that,
"We have strategic interests to maintain good relations with Russia ..."To which Putin responded,
"Germany is one of our key trade partners ... We just started to buy German goods in higher volumes, which supports jobs in Germany"
Furthermore, bear in mind that at the recent NATO meeting in Brussels,
" U.S. President Donald Trump laced into Germany ahead of a high-stakes NATO leaders’ summit in Brussels, declaring at a breakfast meeting Wednesday morning that Germany is “totally controlled by Russia” and lashing out at the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project." (
Added to which, as reported by UNIAN,
"Ukraine and the United States have a common understanding of how to counteract the implementation of the Russian Nord Stream 2 project, which appears a direct threat to the energy security of Europe and worsens the situation with the diversification of energy deliveries to European consumers," the press service of Ukraine's Cabinet said in a statement on Monday, July 23. (UNIAN : 23 July, 2018) (my emphasis)
So the question now is :-
"Will Merkel be swayed to agree to Putin's 'referendum' so that Nord Stream 2 can go ahead unhindred"?
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