In my blog entry of (26/9/2019) I wrote that,
"With this in mind, I shall merely now include snippets of how a free press in the US brought to light just how Trump used the suffering of the Ukrainian people as a bargaining chip against Zelensky and, more importantly, brought to light the myriad of actors that worked in cahoots with Trump to try to achieve his aim of besmirching one of his main opponents in the upcoming 2020 presidential elections in the US, Joe Biden." (video snippets: 26/9/2019)This evidence proves that US President Donald Trump is, in fact, Putin's Manchurian Candidate. It also, once again, brings to the fore the possible 'compromat' hold that Putin has over Trump, and which is contained in the 2016 Steele dossier .
At yesterday's (13/11/2019) US Congressional Impeachment Hearings,(Youtube: Full video) the current US chargé d’affaires (acting Ambassador) for Ukraine, William Taylor, also revealed that,
"Following the call with President Trump, the member of my staff asked Ambassador Sondland what President Trump thought about Ukraine. Ambassador Sondland responded that, "President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for," Taylor added, referring to Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani." (Christina Wilkie :CNBC : 13 November 2019) (my emphasis)
This revelation from acting Ambassador Taylor should give Ukraine's President Zelensky serious pause for thought, especially in light of the near desperation of Merkel and Macron to convene, as quickly as possible, a new Normandy Four summit.
Indeed, as UNIAN reports,
"According to [Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko (right)], Ukraine, Germany and France have already approved the preliminary date of the Normandy Four summit." (UNIAN: 14 November, 2019) (my emphasis)
The urgency of Merkel to quickly convene a new Normandy Four summit may be linked to the fact that, as reported by Markus Wacket,
"Germany’s parliament on Wednesday (13 November 2019) approved changes to the law governing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to make it compliant with European Union regulations, removing a hurdle to completion of the Russia-led project." Reuters : 13 November 2019) (my emphasis)
Putin, however, continues to increase the pressure on Zelensky by demanding that,
".... the meeting should be "well prepared" and "effective". (ibid UNIAN) (my emphasis)
An inkling of what Putin means by, "well prepared" and "effective" comes from Zelensky's version of Trump's Rudy Giuliani, Ihor Kolomoisky (right), possibly Ukraine's most powerful businessman, and Zelensky's patron.
As reported by Anton Troianovski (left),
"Mr. Kolomoisky, widely seen as Ukraine’s most powerful figure outside government, given his role as the patron of the recently elected President Volodymyr Zelensky, has experienced a remarkable change of heart: It is time, he said, for Ukraine to give up on the West and turn back toward Russia.
“They’re stronger anyway. We have to improve our relations,” he said, comparing Russia’s power to that of Ukraine. “People want peace, a good life, they don’t want to be at war. And you” — America — “are forcing us to be at war, and not even giving us the money for it.” (New York Times : 13 November 2019) (my emphasis)
Maybe this Kolomoisky "change of heart" has something to do with the fact that, as Ian Talley (right) reported,
"The International Monetary Fund has put off a bailout for Ukraine
because it is worried the country’s president won’t recoup billions of
dollars allegedly looted from banks—including one once controlled by a
close supporter [Ihor Kolomoisky]—according to people familiar with the negotiations.
...
The
IMF told President Volodymyr Zelensky he must aggressively pursue the
missing money to deliver on his vow to clean up a financial system
sapped by fraud, money laundering and theft." (Washington Post : 31 October 2019) (my emphasis)
Like Yanukovich, who during the Revolution of Dignity 2014 fled into the arms of Putin with his billions looted from the Ukrainian people, Kolomoisky, it would seem, is now preparing a similar exit strategy with his billions looted from the Ukrainian people except that he is now urging Zelensky to flee into the arms of Putin so that he, Kolomoisky, can continue to live in Ukraine rather than having to decamp to Moscow.
And let us not forget Andriy Bohdan (right), the current head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration.- In March 2010, after Viktor Yanukovych won the presidential election, Bohdan became Deputy Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and government commissioner on anti-corruption policy in the government of Mykola Azarov.
- In 2013, Prime Minister Azarov reappointed Bohdan as the Cabinet’s commissioner on anti-corruption policy.
- After the events of the Revolution of Dignity in March 2014, Bohdan was fired. Later he became an adviser to the newly appointed governor of Dnipropetrovsk region oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky.
- Bohdan also defended the interests of Kolomoisky’s associate Hennadiy Korban, who was charged with creating an organized crime group, and embezzlement in 2015. (Hromadske International : 23 May 2019) (my emphasis)
Yuri Polakiwsky now also raises a red flag about Andriy Bohdan,
"The opportunity to transform Ukraine’s politics is rapidly slipping away.
To many observers, Andriy Bohdan, the head of the Presidential Administration, has instituted a form of governance that does not reflect the expectations for change that were promised by the president. Critics, as well as sympathetic supporters, see an administration of two faces: one that is responsive to the expressed ideals for change, and the other as succumbing to internal domestic pressures which overtly favor oligarchic interests." (The Atlantic Council : 4 November 2019) (my emphasis)
To many observers, Andriy Bohdan, the head of the Presidential Administration, has instituted a form of governance that does not reflect the expectations for change that were promised by the president. Critics, as well as sympathetic supporters, see an administration of two faces: one that is responsive to the expressed ideals for change, and the other as succumbing to internal domestic pressures which overtly favor oligarchic interests." (The Atlantic Council : 4 November 2019) (my emphasis)
More disconcerting,
"Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko has said Ukraine may withdraw from Minsk agreements if the summit in the Normandy format fails.
...
Now all parties are awaiting a response from Russia, the BBC's Ukrainian service reports.
...
In addition, Prystaiko assures Zelensky expects from the Kremlin "a clear conversation to come and say: what do you really want from us?"
.....
At the same time, he admitted it is not worth waiting for a breakthrough in these negotiations: the leaders will adopt a communiqué whose draft has already been agreed." (ibid UNIAN)
The "death knoll" for the Minsk2 protocols has now been sounded by Bohdan, Zelensky, and Kolomoisky, Ukraine's "Three Amigos".
Expect the 'mythical' Steinmeier Formula to now emerge as the central formula for the next Normandy Four meeting, to the utter delight of Merkel, Macron, Putin, and .... Kolomoisky and Bohdan.
the meeting should be "well prepared" and "effective".
Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/politics/10754610-ukraine-may-withdraw-from-minsk-agreements-fm-prystaiko.html
Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/politics/10754610-ukraine-may-withdraw-from-minsk-agreements-fm-prystaiko.html
the meeting should be "well prepared" and "effective".
Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/politics/10754610-ukraine-may-withdraw-from-minsk-agreements-fm-prystaiko.html
Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/politics/10754610-ukraine-may-withdraw-from-minsk-agreements-fm-prystaiko.html
Zelensky is fast falling into the arms of Putin.
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