Are the Minsk II protocols heading for the political dustbin?

As reported by UNIAN,

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 15.
...
"The focus of the discussion was on the implementation of the Minsk agreements on the peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine." (UNIAN: 15 July 2020) (my emphasis)

Meanwhile, Zelensky's Deputy Prime Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov
(right), is of the opinion that,

" .... the Minsk agreements are largely no longer relevant, so they should be reviewed." (ibid UNIAN) (my emphasis)

This seems to support Putin, who is now arguing that,

"Ukraine's counterproductive attempts to distort the content of the Minsk agreements." In addition, the press service said that the interlocutors also agreed on the "lack of alternatives to the Minsk agreements." (idbid UNIAN) (my emphasis)


Interestingly, Angela Merkel has not publicly divulged either the truth or falsity on this aggreement between herself and Putin that there is a 'lack of alternatives to the Minsk agreements'
 

Maybe the current diplomatic pronouncements of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (left) gives us a clue as to whether Merkel, like Putin, is rather fed up with the constraints that the Minsk II protocols is putting on German-Russian economic relations.

According to Maas,

"...... there is "minimal consensus" within the European Union on the policy vis-à-vis Russia; it includes, among other things, the regular extension of sanctions .."


"I believe that we need more. Therefore, we want to prepare for the time when we could again talk more intensively about strategic relations with Russia. I think this requires preparations. Therefore, this is a topic that we will deal with as part of our presidency of the Council of the EU," [Maas] said. (UNIAN : 14 July 2020) (my emphasis)

In other words Germany, who now not only holds the office of the President of the Council of the EU for 6 months, but also the strategic office the President of the European Commission, now has the ability to steer the EU towards the ending of EU sanctions against Putin for his illegal occupation, and annexation, of Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine in the Donbas.

The current Corona virus pandemic, and its devastating effect on the economies of all the countries of the EU, is now also emerging as a raison d'être for revisiting the "regular extensions" of EU economic sanctions against Putin.   

the Minsk agreements are largely no longer relevant, so they should be reviewed.

Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/politics/minsk-agreements-merkel-holds-phone-conversation-with-putin-11076293.html

This is best illustrated by French President Macron (right) claiming that,

"... the Brussels project is at stake when his colleagues discuss the next long-term budget and coronavirus recovery fund.
...
Ahead of the European Council summit in Brussels, Mr Macron said: “It’s an ambitious moment for Europe, we are living a crisis without precedents in the health, social and economic areas, which requires more solidarity and ambition. France and Germany have come up with an agreement. It was the base of the Commission’s proposal for the reactivation plan." (Joe Barnes : Express : 17 July 2020) (my emphasis)

Express : 17 July 2020

Which brings us to Nord Stream 2.

This economic lifeline of Putin has been fervently pushed by both Putin and Merkel as a purely economic relationship, with Merkel refusing to acknowledge that Nord Stream 2 is, in fact, an economic and political strategy of Putin to cripple the economy of Ukraine.

Nearing the completion of this economic and political pipeline of Putin and Merkel the US, however, is throwing a 'spanner in the works'.

As reported by UNIAN,

"U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) says the U.S. Department of State is preparing to impose sanctions against companies investing in the Nord Stream 2 energy project.
...
 "The Department of State is issuing updated public guidance for section 232 of CAATSA, the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, in order to expand implementation of the act. 
...
 "This action puts investments or other activities that are related to these Russian energy export pipelines at risk of U.S. sanctions. It's a clear warning to companies aiding and abetting Russia's malign influence projects will not be tolerated. Get out now, or risk the consequences," he said. (UNIAN : 15 July 2020) (my emphasis)

Putin cannot rely on his Manchurian Candidate, Donald Trump, to try and stymie the implementation of Pompeo's expanded sanctions against "companies aiding and abetting Russia's malign influence projects ...".

Which makes it even more urgent for Merkel to advance the ending of  the EU sanctions against Putin and his siloviki, that was brought about by Putin's illegal occupation of Crimea and his ongoing war with Uraine.

It is therefore no wonder that Merkel is rather 'coy' in making public whether or not she recently agreed with Putin "that there is a lack of alternatives to the Minsk protocols".

That Zelensky, through his mouthpiece, the Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, also believes that,

"... the Minsk agreements are largely no longer relevant, so they should be reviewed",

fits in neatly with the upcoming Normandy Format Meeting strategy of Putin and Merkel.

Yet yesterday, before Ukraine's parliament, Zelensky stated that,

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine must have all Russia-occupied territories back.
.....
"Yes. We lost part of the territory. We lost our people. And, unfortunately, we cannot bring back the dead. But we must return all our territories. Restore faith in truth and justice. So that what our heroes died for never turns out to be useless," Zelensky said." (UNIAN : 16 July 2020) (my emphasis)

But the critical question that Zelensky needs to answer is :-

"Will the Minsk II proposals be rejected for a Putin 'face-saving' formula that will maintain Putin's political hold over the occupied Donbas and Crimea?"

(to be continued)