There is an old saying that, "The Truth Always Bubbles To The Surface"
And so it is that the intimate relationship between 'Manchurian Candidate' Trump, and his handler Putin, is being revealed for all the world to see.
As reported by Greg Miller (right),
"President Trump has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including on at least one occasion taking possession of the notes of his own interpreter and instructing the linguist not to discuss what had transpired with other administration officials, current and former U.S. officials said.
Former U.S. officials said that Trump’s behavior is at odds with the known practices of previous presidents, who have relied on senior aides to witness meetings and take comprehensive notes then shared with other officials and departments." (Washington Post : 12 January, 2018) (my emphasis)
Former U.S. officials said that Trump’s behavior is at odds with the known practices of previous presidents, who have relied on senior aides to witness meetings and take comprehensive notes then shared with other officials and departments." (Washington Post : 12 January, 2018) (my emphasis)
MSNBC (12 January, 2018)
These public revelations further underscore the 'quid pro quo' agreement between Putin and Trump, that ultimately led to Trump occupying the White House.
And the pivot around which this 'quid pro quo' revolves is the removal of US sanctions against Putin and his Kremlin 'siloviki', sanctions which were imposed primarily because of Putin's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine.
One need look no further than at the recent reporting (11 Jan., 2019) of the attempt by Trump's Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin (left), to release Oleg Deripaska, one of Putin's closest 'siloviki' comrades, from some of the critical sanctions imposed upon him.
As Alan Rappeport (right) reports,
"The Trump administration on Thursday defended its decision to lift sanctions on companies linked to the billionaire Russian oligarch Oleg V. Deripaska, despite deep concerns from newly empowered House Democrats that the move was an effort by President Trump to help an ally of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia." (New York Times : 10 January, 2018) (my emphasis)
As Rachel Maddow also reports,
Yet again do we see just how the Scarlet Thread of the 2014 Maidan revolution of 2014 squeezed Putin and Trump tightly together.
And in Europe the economic ties between Germany and Putin's Russia continues to flourish, to the consternation of many EU members.
As Willem Aldershoff reported,
"Debate continues over whether Nord Stream 2, the undersea gas pipeline nearing completion between Russia and Germany, is a genuinely commercial project. Yet some voices in the debate have been heard louder than others." (Financial Times : November 30, 2018) (my emphasis)
As also reported by Firstpost (Reuters),
"U.S. sanctions against the Russian-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline would be the wrong way to solve a dispute over energy supply, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (left) said on Thursday.
...
"Questions of European energy policy must be decided in Europe, not in the U.S.," Maas said. "To impose unilateral sanctions against Nord Stream 2 is certainly not the way to go." (Firstpost : 13 January, 2019) (my emphasis)
Notwithstanding the strident argument of Putinversteher German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, that the Nord Stream 2 contract between Putin and German business companies is purely economic and has nothing to do with Putin attempting to squeeze Ukraine economically, Nick Cunningham (right) reports that,
"Support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Germany is slipping, according to a report from Bloomberg. Some politicians in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition are moving against the pipeline for geopolitical reasons, citing fears that the project would allow Russia a freer hand in Ukraine." (Oil Price : 8 January, 2018) (my emphasis)
As I wrote in my last blog entry (9 January, 2019),
"One can now safely say that Angela Merkel, together with the German business community is, and always has been, covering Putin's economic back, irrespective of Gazprom being a critical factor in Putin's war with Ukraine!
The completion of the Nord Stream2 project is now more critical for Putin as the US House of Congress begins to block Trump's attempt to remove US sanctions against Putin and his 'siloviki' clique." (cf. also Alan Rappeport above)
How long, now, will Merkel be able to continue with her pretense that Nord Stream2 is a purely economic relationship between herself and Putin?
And whilst Merkel continues with this political pretense, RFERL reports that,
"A surveillance drone operated by monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in eastern Ukraine has been shot down near the government-controlled village of Popasna in the Luhansk region.
The incident occurred on January 10, according to a report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine published the next day. " (RFERL : 12 January, 2018)
Just how much longer will the economic Jackboots of German businessmen continue to march over Ukraine into Putin's Russia?
How much longer will Merkel cover Putin's economic back?
(to be continued)
And the pivot around which this 'quid pro quo' revolves is the removal of US sanctions against Putin and his Kremlin 'siloviki', sanctions which were imposed primarily because of Putin's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine.
(IMPORTANT UPDATE 14 JAN.,2019) MSNBC
One need look no further than at the recent reporting (11 Jan., 2019) of the attempt by Trump's Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin (left), to release Oleg Deripaska, one of Putin's closest 'siloviki' comrades, from some of the critical sanctions imposed upon him.As Alan Rappeport (right) reports,
"The Trump administration on Thursday defended its decision to lift sanctions on companies linked to the billionaire Russian oligarch Oleg V. Deripaska, despite deep concerns from newly empowered House Democrats that the move was an effort by President Trump to help an ally of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia." (New York Times : 10 January, 2018) (my emphasis)As Rachel Maddow also reports,
MSNBC (11 January, 2019)
Yet again do we see just how the Scarlet Thread of the 2014 Maidan revolution of 2014 squeezed Putin and Trump tightly together.
And in Europe the economic ties between Germany and Putin's Russia continues to flourish, to the consternation of many EU members.
As Willem Aldershoff reported,
"Debate continues over whether Nord Stream 2, the undersea gas pipeline nearing completion between Russia and Germany, is a genuinely commercial project. Yet some voices in the debate have been heard louder than others." (Financial Times : November 30, 2018) (my emphasis)
As also reported by Firstpost (Reuters),
"U.S. sanctions against the Russian-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline would be the wrong way to solve a dispute over energy supply, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (left) said on Thursday....
"Questions of European energy policy must be decided in Europe, not in the U.S.," Maas said. "To impose unilateral sanctions against Nord Stream 2 is certainly not the way to go." (Firstpost : 13 January, 2019) (my emphasis)
Notwithstanding the strident argument of Putinversteher German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, that the Nord Stream 2 contract between Putin and German business companies is purely economic and has nothing to do with Putin attempting to squeeze Ukraine economically, Nick Cunningham (right) reports that,"Support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Germany is slipping, according to a report from Bloomberg. Some politicians in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition are moving against the pipeline for geopolitical reasons, citing fears that the project would allow Russia a freer hand in Ukraine." (Oil Price : 8 January, 2018) (my emphasis)
As I wrote in my last blog entry (9 January, 2019),
"One can now safely say that Angela Merkel, together with the German business community is, and always has been, covering Putin's economic back, irrespective of Gazprom being a critical factor in Putin's war with Ukraine!The completion of the Nord Stream2 project is now more critical for Putin as the US House of Congress begins to block Trump's attempt to remove US sanctions against Putin and his 'siloviki' clique." (cf. also Alan Rappeport above)
How long, now, will Merkel be able to continue with her pretense that Nord Stream2 is a purely economic relationship between herself and Putin?
And whilst Merkel continues with this political pretense, RFERL reports that,
"A surveillance drone operated by monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in eastern Ukraine has been shot down near the government-controlled village of Popasna in the Luhansk region.The incident occurred on January 10, according to a report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine published the next day. " (RFERL : 12 January, 2018)
Just how much longer will the economic Jackboots of German businessmen continue to march over Ukraine into Putin's Russia?How much longer will Merkel cover Putin's economic back?
(to be continued)
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