Like Zelensky, steeped in the culture of TV series productions, French President Macron is steeped in the culture of High Finance since becoming an Inspector in the Finance Ministry of France (2004), and then moving on to become an Investment Banker at the Rothschild & Cie Banque in Paris (2008), before becoming President of France in 2017.Is it therefore any wonder that, as James Nixey and Mathieu Boulègue report,
"Macron himself is emblematic of a wider tendency in French politics and business – looking to build [Economic and Political] bridges with the Kremlin, regardless of how wide the chasm between them is." (Royal Institute of International Affairs : 5 September 2019) (my emphasis)They also report that,
".. during the traditional discours aux ambassadeurs on 27 August, Macron went further by effectively excusing Russia from any responsibility for the frozen conflicts around its periphery.
...
The danger is that this French heft translates into policy which in turn translates into the lowering of defences and the sacrificing of allies, such as Ukraine and Georgia.(ibid James Nixey and Mathieu Boulègue)
This is the same Macron who, together with Angela Merkel, has been pushing Zelensky to find an accommodation with Putin so that Putin's war with Ukraine can be ended (with Putin as the victor!) and bring an end to those pesky EU sanctions that are standing in the way of the opening of the floodgates of French economic investment pouring into Putin's failing economy.
Even Trump is pushing Zelensky to get together with Putin " ... to solve their problem ..."
It is no wonder that Zelensky is now feeling trapped.
In a recent interview, and a dig at Trump, he stated that,
“We’re at war”, Volodymyr Zelensky told Time Magazine and three leading European publications in a joint, wide-ranging interview published on Monday morning. “If you’re our strategic partner [the US], then you [Trump] can’t go blocking anything for us.” (Chris Riotta (left): The Independent : 2 December 2019) (my emphasis)Riotta goes on to further report that,
"The Ukrainian president [Zelensky] also suggested he was not hopeful that a ceasefire with Russia would occur as the result of scheduled peace talks mediated by France and Germany. He did, however, describe the step as “already a victory” as Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected to attend the talks for the first time since 2016.
“I don’t trust anyone at all”, Mr Zelensky said. “I’ll tell you honestly. Politics is not an exact science … I don’t know these people. I can’t understand what dough they’re made of. That’s why I think nobody can have any trust. Everybody just has their interests." (ibid Riotta) (my emphasis)It is rather late in the day for Zelensky to realise that, "Politics is not an exact science .... Everybody just has their interests ..."
And yet we have Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal categorically stating that the Minsk2 Protocols are no longer the basis for discussion at the upcoming Normandy Format meeting but that the 'mythical' "Steinmeier Formula" has replaced it.
As Florence Schulz reports,
- [Question to Olena Zerkal (right)] In early October the Ukrainian government agreed on the so-called Steinmeier-Formula. It is meant to allow elections to take place in the regions occupied by pro-Russian forces. For a long time, Ukraine had opposed this, asking to be given back control over the regions first. What has changed now?
- [Answer of Olena Zerkal] I think President Zelenskyi has the desire to go down in the history of Ukraine as a peacemaker. And the only solution on the table was the Steinmeier formula, which had already been negotiated by the previous President. Zelenskyi is now continuing this procedure. (Euractiv : 29 November 2019) (my emphasis)
That the Minsk2 Proposals have now been relegated to the dustbin of history, and has now been replaced by the 'mythical' "Steinmeier Formula", is it any surprise that Putin will be attending the 9 December Normandy Format meeting after an absence since 2016?
Let us remind ourselves that,
"According to Petro Poroshenko, former president of Ukraine,"Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's ex-president, MP from European Solidarity faction said that the Steinmeier formula did not exist. He stated this at the Rendez-vous show on Channel 5 on September 21.
"No Steinmeier agreement exists in nature. There is no Steinmeier agreement. There is no Steinmeier formula supposedly agreed with someone," Poroshenko said." (112 UA : 22 September 2019) (my emphasis)" (blog entry: 6 October 2019)
How, then, can Olena Zerkal state that the Steinmeier Formula had been negotiated by Poroshenko when Poroshenko, himself, has stated that, "No Steinmeier agreement exists in nature. There is no Steinmeier agreement. There is no Steinmeier formula supposedly agreed with someone"?
Indeed, Poroshenko goes on to further elucidate that,
"[Poroshenko] I want to tell you, this is the first time I’m telling you about the last meeting in Berlin (12 April 2019) with Putin, Merkel, the French president and your humble servant.
Putin: When Putin said: we had Steinmeier’s formula written by Lavrov.
Poroshenko: I say: I'm sorry, there’s a letter from two ministers of Foreign Affairs of France and Germany, where they state that this is Steinmeier’s formula. Please take a look.
Putin: He, Putin, takes this letter, reads and says: no, it’s not
at all what Lavrov wrote on the Steinmeier formula for me. Poroshenko: I say: sorry, but Lavrov will write nothing on it. Moreover, Steinmeier himself sits at this table and you can ask him, Mr. Putin.
Putin: I won’t ask him, you re-advocated him, we will be based on our proposals - this is the style of Russia’s negotiation," Poroshenko told. (ibid 112 UA)
Is Olena Zerkal aware that Sergey Lavrov, that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet Foreign Minister of Putin, was actually the author of the so-called "Steinmeier formula"?
After six months in office Zelensky is being brutally honest when he states that, "I don’t know these people. [the Heads of State that he now has to deal with] I can’t understand what dough they’re made of. That’s why I think nobody can have any trust"
As the late Harold Wilson remarked,
"A week is a long time in politics ..."
We now await the outcome of the Dec 9 Normandy Format meeting.
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