What the world will not see is the scarlet thread of Maidan that is wrapped around Putin and Trump as they waltz together at the G20 summit.

The longs knives of Republicans in the Senate and Congress are being sharpened against the FBI investigation into Putin's collusion with Trump officials during the 2016 US presidential elections, which ultimately led to Trump now occupying the White House.

Republican Senators Grassley and Graham (left) have, on June 27, 2017, fired off a letter to Rod J. Rosenstein (right : McCabe and Rosenstein), Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, and Andrew McCabe, Acting Director, FBI, demanding that, 

(a) Copies of all proposed and all final signed FISA applications submitted to the FISC relating to: Russian interference in the 2016 election; allegations of collusion between people associated with the Trump campaign and Russia; and any known Trump associates regardless of context. 

(b) Copies of all FISC responses to the above-mentioned applications in which the Court notified the FBI or Justice Department that it would not grant the proposed applications or recommended changes.  If any such FISC responses were provided orally, rather than in writing, please provide copies of all FBI or Justice Department records memorializing or otherwise referencing the relevant FISC responses. 

 

(c) Copies of all FISC orders relating to the above-mentioned applications, whether denying the applications and certifications, denying the orders, modifying the orders, granting the orders, or other types of orders.

Essentially, the focus of Republican Senators Grassley and Lindsey is to discredit the Steele dossier, and to argue that it was this dossier that precipitated James Comey, then Director of the FBI, to set in motion the 'Russia Investigation'.

As Rachel Maddow of MSNBC explains,

"They're saying implicitly that that dossier of materials is unproven and suspect and that's what the FBI's whole investigation is based on"  (MSNBC : 28 June, 2017)

In other words, Grassley and Graham are, in effect, saying that ALL the EU secret agencies, that have substatianted much in this dossier, are not to be believed.  

 Even more significantly, Grassley and Graham are trying to divert the attention of the American public from the fact that, as reported by Robert Mendick and Robert Verkaik,

"An ex-KGB chief suspected of helping the former MI6 spy Christopher Steele to compile his dossier on Donald Trump may have been murdered by the Kremlin and his death covered up. it has been claimed.

...

Erovinkin (left)  has been described as a key liaison between Sechin and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Mr Steele writes in an intelligence report dated July 19, 2016, he has a source close to Sechin, who had disclosed alleged links between Mr Trump’s supporters and Moscow.
The death of Erovinkin has prompted speculation it is linked to Mr Steele’s explosive dossier .." (The Telegraph : 27 January 2017) (my emphasis)

Central to the Steele report is the fact that,

By trying to undermine the veracity of many details in, if not ALL of, the Steele report, Grassley and Graham are playing directly into the hands of Putin.

The EU-US sanctions against Putin and his 'siloviki' clique in the Kremlin, that resulted from the ongoing war between Putin and Ukraine, and Putin's illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea; that 'sanctions' scarlet thread of Maidan cannot so easily be wished away by either Grassley or Graham since it is the very raison d'être of Putin helping Trump get elected president of the US.

And next week the world waits with bated breath as,

"President Donald Trump will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin next week at the G20 summit in Germany.

Senior White House officials declined to say whether Mr Trump would address Russian interference in the 2016 US election.

H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser, said the agenda for the high stakes meeting had not been finalised. (Nick Allen and Harriet Alexander : The Telegraph : 29 June 2017) (my emphasis)

So the world will be watching as Trump and Putin waltz together at the G20 summit in Germany, straining to hear what these two will be whispering into each other's ear.

What the world will not see is the scarlet thread of Maidan that is wrapped around them as they waltz together at the G20 summit.

 (to be continued)

Will Putin be holding "the dossier" as a sword of Damocles over the head of Trump at the upcoming G20 summit?

The Week reports that,

"The oil price is hovering near seven-month lows and remains close to being in a "bear market", despite a big fall in reported US oil reserves.

Brent crude, the international oil price benchmark, fell below $46 a barrel yesterday after peaking earlier this year at $56 a barrel. Earlier today, it hit an intraday low below $45, marking a peak-to-trough fall of more than 20 per cent to meet the definition of a bear market." (The Week : Jun 22, 2017) ( my emphasis)

And as  Putin and his 'siloviki' clique must be tearing out their hair at this near precipitous fall in the price of oil,

"The leaders of European Union nations have agreed to extend sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine, following a similar move by the United States this week.

European Council president Donald Tusk tweeted Thursday while hosting an EU summit in Brussels: "Agreed. EU will extend economic sanctions against Russia" over its failure to implement measures promised in a peace agreement. [i.e Ukraine ceasefire agreement]

After Thursday's political decision, the sanctions will be formally extended for another six months starting next week." (Caledonian Record : Jun 22, 2017) (my emphasis)

Meanwhile yesterday,

"French President Emmanuel Macron (right) said on Monday that France refuses to recognise Russia’s “annexation” of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea but that he hoped to make progress towards peace.

Mr. Macron said after meeting Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Paris that his approach to future talks was unambiguous: “France is committed to Ukraine's sovereignty with its recognised borders,” he said." (The Hindu (Agence France Press) : Paris, June 27, 2017) (my emphasis)

 It is therefore no wonder that Putin has now lashed out against Ukraine by,

"Companies across the globe are reporting that they have been struck by a major ransomware cyber-attack.

Ukrainian firms, including the state power company and Kiev's main airport, were among the first to report issues." (BBC News : 28 June, 2017 [4 hours ago]) (my emphasis)

 And as Putin continues to lash out against Ukraine, much like Donald Trump railing against the continuing unravelling of just how Putin got him into the White House .....

Theodoric Meyer reports that,

"The firm headed by Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, made more than $17 million working as a foreign agent of a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party, according to newly filed disclosure reports.
...
The filing makes Manafort the second Trump campaign official to retroactively disclose foreign lobbying." (Politico : 28/6/17) (my emphasis)

 In light of all this,

"President Donald Trump is eager to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin with full diplomatic bells and whistles when the two are in Germany for a multinational summit next month.
...
But the idea is exposing deep divisions within the administration on the best way to approach Moscow in the midst of an ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S. elections.
...
Many administration officials believe the U.S. needs to maintain its distance from Russia at such a sensitive time — and interact only with great caution. (Vivian Salama (AP): Chicago Tribune : June 28, 2017) (my emphasis)

What will transpire between Putin and Trump at the July G20 Summit meeting in July in Germany remains to be seen.

Who will be calling the "meeting" shots at the upcoming G20 summit in Germany?

Will Putin be holding "the dossier" as a sword of Damocles over the head of Trump at this G20 summit?

 
 (to be continued)

What hold does Putin have over Trump?

Yesterday, as reported by Dan Merica (left),

" ... When Petro Poroshenko visited the White House on Tuesday, the Ukrainian President wasn't greeted by the traditional pomp and circumstance that comes with a foreign leader meeting with the president of the United States." (CNN : 20 June, 2017) (my emphasis)

Dan Merica goes on to report that,

" ... Poroshenko's treatment is noteworthy given Trump's tendency to roll out the red carpet for almost all foreign leaders who visit the White House -- even those from small countries with few pressing issues in the United States." (ibid Dan Merica) (my emphasis)

Perhaps even more significant, as reported by Shaun Walker (right),

" ...Trump said Ukraine was “a place that we’ve all been very much involved in; we’ve been seeing it and everyone’s been reading about it”, but did not condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine, something he has never done." (The Guardian : 20 June, 2017) (my emphasis)

And if this were not enough, Trump's nominee for US Deputy Defence Secretary, Boing executive Pat Shanahan, displayed a dangerous ignorance about the situation in Ukraine during his confirmation hearing.

As reported by Travis Tritten,

" .. Sen. John McCain (left) on Tuesday threatened to block President Trump's deputy defense secretary nominee during a tense exchange over providing weapons to Ukraine.

McCain took issue with Boeing executive Pat Shanahan's written response to the Senate Armed Services Committee that he would need to take a look at equipping Ukrainian allies with lethal arms, something McCain has long advocated.

The chairman hammered Shanahan with pointed questions over his time at Boeing and whether he did his homework on the Ukraine question during the opening minutes of what was expected to be a smooth confirmation hearing." (Washington Examiner : June 20, 2017) (me emphasis)

What we therefore have is the following :-

• Yesterday (20 June, 2017) Trump did NOT condemn Putin for his illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine in the Donbas, during yesterday's joint press release with President Poroshenko of Ukraine
• Trump's nominee for US Deputy Defence Secretary not only displayed woeful ignorance about Putin's war with Ukraine but, more significantly, stated that, "he would need to take a look at equipping Ukrainian allies with lethal arms"

Which once again raises the issue of Trump's reluctance to condemn Putin's illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea, as well as his ongoing war with Ukraine in the Donbas.

What hold does Putin have over Trump that seems to demand of Trump that he dare not critisize what Putin has done, and is still doing, in Ukraine?

(to be continued)

Is Putin on the brink to verify the Christopher Steele 'dossier' on Trump?

The US wheels of justice may, at times, seem tortuously slow. When, however, it gathers pace, then things begin to move very fast.

In a recent article, Bob Bauer (left) explains that,

“... given the potentially momentous political consequences for the Nation at stake, there is a fundamental, structural incompatibility between the ordinary application of the criminal process and the Office of the President." (Lawfare : Monday, June 19, 2017) (my emphasis)

In other words,

"... do the strains on a presidency under investigation require the conclusion that the president cannot be indicted while in office? As recently as 2000, the Office of Legal Counsel affirmed the position it took in 1973 with an emphatic “yes.”" (ibid Bob Bauer) (my emphasis)

Bauer goes on to further explain that,

" ... It is in constitutional theory only that a president may order an end to an investigation directed against him. In practice, he will fail." (ibid Bauer) (my emphasis)

And it is the scarlet thread of Maidan that will ensure the failure of Trump to prevent himself from being indicted and thus remain in office until the end of his presidency.

As Julia Manchester (right) reports,

"Then-Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort met with a Ukrainian business associate who previously served in the Russian army last August, as speculation rose about Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign, the Washington Post reports." (The Hill : 19 June, 2017) (my emphasis)

Adding to Trump's present woes about his direct links with Putin during the 2016 US presidential elections, and his offering to Putin 'payback' in the form of lifting the US sanctions against Putin and his 'siloviki' clique because of Putin's  illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine in the Donbas, the US Senate has stymied Trump in unilaterally lifting those sanctions by,

" ... [voting] to increase sanctions on Russia, and give Congress the power to review any attempt by President Donald Trump to unilaterally lift them, a rebuke of the president’s suggestions that the U.S. improve relations with the country.
...
Lawmakers said they’re responding to Russia’s involvement in Ukraine and meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election ... " (Terence Dopp (left): Bloomberg : 15 June 2017) (my emphasis)

Even the 'press shy' Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, can no longer hide himself from the public.

His involvement in the Trump-Putin investigation is now also forcing him to show himself to the public.

This is the man-boy upon whom Trump has heaped more power than a committee of seasoned politicians can handle.

Putin must now be rather resigned to the fact that Trump will not be able to give hims the 'payback' that he deserves for getting Trump into the White House.

The only 'ace up his sleeve' that he now can play is to completely throw the US political system into near total turmoil.

Which once again brings us back to the dossier compiled by Christopher Steele.

(to be continued)

Trump, like Putin, is now drinking in the "Last Chance Saloon"

Yesterday Ukrainian authorities have opened the doors to the EU as Ukrainian people celebrate ending their decade-long wait for free visa access to the EU on Sunday, with parties and ceremonies. (Euronews : 12/06/2017) (my emphasis)

These celebrations have, however, been marred by the fact that,

"Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 57 times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and five as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters." (UNIAN : 13 June 2017) (my emphasis) 

Further marring these celebrations is the fact that, as reported by Kenneth Rapoza,

"The European Commission received a mandate on Sunday to go ahead and negotiate with Russia on the construction of the so-called Nord Stream 2 pipeline through the Baltic Sea" (Forbes : Jun 12, 2017) (my emphasis)

This mandate, which clears a significant hurdle for a project that has faced strong resistance from many EU member states, was celebrated by Gazprom's Gehardt Schroeder, former chancellor of Germany, and Alexei Miller (left).

The so-called Nord Stream 2 pipeline will be 50% funded by  Anglo-Dutch group Royal Dutch Shell, Austria’s OMV, France’s Engie and Germany’s Uniper and Wintershall, with each EU company contributing €950m EACH to the project.  (cf: Henry Foy and Rochelle Toplensky: Financial Times : April 24, 2017) (my emphasis) 

 As reported by Gabriela Baczynska (right),

"Opponents of the pipeline also note that it would bypass Ukraine, thereby harming the interests of the pro-Western government in Kiev at a time when Russia remains under EU sanctions over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and its support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine"  (Reuters : Thu Jun 8, 2017) (my emphasis)

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is scheduled to be completed in 2019 so, whilst Gehardt Schroeder and Alexei Miller may now be celebrating this EU mandate for a 'go-ahead' in negotiations, it would be wise for them to remember, as reported by Jude Clemente (left),

" ...[That the US] will now be implementing more pro-oil and pro-natural gas policies might be the biggest understatement you will hear this year. Think about it: former Texas governor Rick Perry is head of the U.S. Department of Energy and former ExxonMobil CEO is head of the U.S. Department of State.

Thus, the U.S. could rival Russia as the world's largest oil and gas exporting machine." (Forbes : Feb 25, 2017)  (my emphasis)

Even as the evidence against Donald Trump obstructing justice begins to mount, and impeachment begins to beckon, nonetheless a prospective US President Mike Pence will not deviate from a central plank in Trump's election campaign viz., "... to roll back federal regulations to help U.S. oil and natural gas and to open up new areas for development" (ibid Jude Clemente)

Trump, like Putin, is now drinking in the "Last Chance Saloon".

It is now being reported by Bryan Logan that,

"President Donald Trump may consider firing Robert Mueller (left), the special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation.

"He's weighing that option," said Chris Ruddy, Newsmax CEO and friend of Trump on PBS NewsHour Monday evening. "I personally think it would be a very significant mistake – even though I don't think there's a justification ... for a special counsel in this case," Ruddy said" (UK Business Insider : Jun. 13, 2017) (my emphasis)

Not only is his Senior Advisor daughter, Ivanka Trump, now also being forced to come to his aid,
 

he is also now, just like a Mafia Don, desperately trying to project the the American public at large that his cabinet 'admires' him.

 

But try as he may Trump, like Putin, simply cannot escape from their entanglement by the scarlet thread of Maidan.

As each new day brings forth yet more revelations about Putin's direct hand in Trump's election to the White House, so too is revealed the very foundation of Putin's interference in the 2016 US Presidential elections viz. the lifting of US sanctions brought about by his illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine in the Donbas.

So whilst Putin and his Kremlin 'siloviki' may be congratulating themselves on the success of their first step towards constructing the so-called Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a pipeline that will directly affect Ukraine negatively, nonetheless Trump's impeachment and Mike Pence's donning of the mantle of US president will not stop the US from potentially becoming the world's largest oil and gas exporting machine.

Neither will Putin get his lifting of US sanctions 'payback' from Trump, as Trump's impeachement draws ever closer.

Meanwhile, the EU has opened up its visa-free doors to Ukrainians.

(to be continued)

In their defence of Trump, are Republicans aware that they are also defending Putin?

When  Trump "repeatedly pursued business deals in Russia since 1987, and sometimes travelled there to explore potential business opportunities", and "..in 2008 his son Donald Trump Jr. said that Russia was an important source of money for the Trump businesses", (Wikipedia) little did Putin then know that his FSB surveillance of  Trump had collected salacious details on a big fish ... the future President of the US, Donald Trump.

These salacious details gathered by Putin, as revealed in the dossier of  David Steele, have always haunted Trump. So much so, that one can now understand Trump's fear of 'getting on the wrong side' of Putin since Putin can, by simply revealing these salacious details, put an ignominious and abrupt end to Trump's presidency.

And so it is that these 'salacious' details are now beginning to be publicly mentioned, by none other than Trump himself in a revealed one-on-one conversation with former FBI director, James Comey, as the Senate Intelligence Committee continues its investigation into Putin's collusion with Trump and his cohorts during the 2016 US presidential elections.

Today James Comey will be appearing before the US Senate Intelligence Committee, and the already publicly released details of Comey's conversations with Donald Trump will come under severe scrutiny.

Today, the psychological pressure that Putin is exerting on Trump to have the US sanctions against himself, his 'siloviki', and his private 'slush fund Russian bank', Vnesheconombank, removed, will be revealed.

What will also be revealed, as Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson explains, is the fact the the Trump administration, just like Putin and his Kremlin clan, is being run like a Mafia Organization, an organization that demands loyalty.

Trump however, in not above the Rule of Law in the US, nor the US Constitution, something that he simply fails to understand.

How he must wish that he had the same power as Putin, where the so-called Russian Rule of Law simply does not exist, and where Putin IS the law.

The fact that Trump wanted former FBI director, James Comey, to drop his investigation into the many conversations between Russian US ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, and  Mike Flynn, (left: Flynn and Kislyak) both during and after the 2016 US presidential election, signifies that Trump, himself, must have know that the central theme of those conversations between Flynn and Kislyak was the dropping of  the US sanctions that was instituted because of Putin's illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine in the Donbas.

This was the 'payback' expected by Putin of Trump for getting Trump into the White House.

The scarlet thread of Maidan, that has wrapped Putin in sanctions, and that has wrapped Trump in the nightmare of his salacious cavortings in Russia being publicly revealed, as by his own 'denial' of those cavorting to James Comey, cannot be easily escaped from by either Putin nor Trump.

James Comey's testimony before the US Senate Intelligence Committee today will bring out the most tortuous legal defence of Trump by his Republican defenders in both the US Congress and Senate.

The $64 question is,

"How far will Republican Senators and Congress men and women go to defend Trump in the face of ongoing revelations about his attempt to obstruct Justice?"

In their defence of Trump, are Republicans aware that they are also defending Putin?

(to be continued)

Putin's nightmare is now the likely possibililty of a Mike Pence presidency.

Unian reported on the 4th June that,

"Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 58 times in the past 24 hours, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as killed in action (KIA) and five as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.
.....
The largest number of violations was recorded in the Mariupol sector, namely there were 36 militant attacks." (UNIAN : 4th June, 2017) (my emphasis)

This follows on from,

"Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 19 times on June 3, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters." (ibid Unian)

This 'stealth' escalation by Putin of his war with Ukraine comes just after the,

"Deputy foreign ministers from Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia [met on Tuesday May 30th, 2017] in Berlin [...] to discuss the Ukraine crisis in the Normandy group format ..." (Thomas Escritt and Paul Carrel : Reuters: Mon May 29, 2017) (my emphasis)

The main item on their agenda was,

" ... to review the current situation on the ground with regard to the cease-fire and with regard to all other commitments under the Minsk agreements," German government spokesman Martin Schaefer told a regular news conference. (RFERL :  May 29, 2017) (my emphasis)

Which raises the interesting question.

Why "Deputy Foreign Ministers" and not the current Normandy group of Foreign ministers? 

(Klimkin [Ukraine] Le Drian [France]  Lavrov [Russia]  Hartmut [Germany])

Is this because 'the Trump elephant in the room' of ANY discussions about the full implementation of the Minsk2 proposals simply cannot be ignored, especially by Klimkin, Le Drian, or Hartmut, and that their efforts are now focussed on what is happening to Trump as his administration, and himself, begins to reach a stage of near total meltdown? 

Furthermore, is Putin's current 'stealth' escalation of his war with Ukraine yet another arrogant signal by Putin to Klimkin, Le Drian, and Hartmut that they can no longer depend on the US to support their diplomatic efforts to get him to honour his commitments under the Minsk agreements?

As Henry Farrell recently reported,

"Merkel on Sunday declared a new chapter in U.S.-European relations after contentious meetings with President Trump last week, saying that Europe “really must take our fate into our own hands.” (Washington Post : May 28) (my emphasis)

On 2 June I wrote in my blog entry that,

"Just as Putin has now publicly humiliated Trump, James Comey's appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee [this coming Thursday] will pull the rug out from under the feet of Trump.  

But Putin himself is now also panicking because the scarlet thread of Maidan is inexorably dragging Trump towards towards the dock of impeachment. 

For both Trump and Putin, speed is now of the essence to get the US sanctions unilaterally lifted." (blog: June 2, 2017)

I would expect that Merkel, Macron, Poroshenko, and Putin will be anxiously watching what former FBI director James Comey (left) has to say in front of the US Senate Intelligence Committee this coming Thursday.

Crucially, the questions that the members of the US Senate Intelligence Committee will ask Comey to answer under oath could determine the ultimate fate of the Trump administration.

Every word and syllable of Comey's testimony will especially be nervously anticipated by Trump and Putin.

Part 1

Part 2

(full MSNBC video)

Is Putin, by 'stealthily escalating' his war with Ukraine, hedging his bets against a possible negative outcome for himself and his 'siloviki' after James Comey's testimony in front of the US Senate Intelligence Committee this coming Thursday?

Will Comey's testimony put the final break on any lifting of US sanctions against Putin and his Kremlin clique, sanctions that were put in place because of Putin's illegal invasion and annexation of Ukrainian Crimea, and his war with Ukraine in the Donbas?

Critically, Vice President Mike Pence, at the Munich Security Conference in February of this year, vowed that,

".. the United States will “hold Russia accountable” even as President Trump searches for new common ground with Moscow at the start of his presidency.
......
Pence said the U.S. would demand that Russia honor a 2015 peace deal agreed upon in Minsk, Belarus, to end violence in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists." (CBS News : Feb 18, 2017) (my emphasis)

Putin's nightmare is now the likely possibililty of a Mike Pence presidency.

(to be continued)

The largest number of violations was recorded in the Mariupol sector, namely there were 36 militant attacks.

Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/war/1957826-ukraine-reports-58-enemy-attacks-2-kias-5-wias-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 58 times in the past 24 hours, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as killed in action (KIA) and five as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters. The largest number of violations was recorded in the Mariupol sector, namely there were 36 militant attacks.

Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/war/1957826-ukraine-reports-58-enemy-attacks-2-kias-5-wias-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 58 times in the past 24 hours, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as killed in action (KIA) and five as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters. The largest number of violations was recorded in the Mariupol sector, namely there were 36 militant attacks.

Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/war/1957826-ukraine-reports-58-enemy-attacks-2-kias-5-wias-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 58 times in the past 24 hours, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as killed in action (KIA) and five as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters. The largest number of violations was recorded in the Mariupol sector, namely there were 36 militant attacks.

Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/war/1957826-ukraine-reports-58-enemy-attacks-2-kias-5-wias-in-last-day.html

President Macron should take care that the scarlet thread of Maidan does not also entwine him.

On Friday, May 26-2017,

"European Council President Donald Tusk urged Group of Seven leaders on Friday to stick to their sanctions policy on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, a day after a senior U.S. official said Washington had no position on the issue.  
...
"A solution to the conflict can only be reached with the full implementation of the Minsk accords," Tusk said ahead of the summit that gathers the leaders of the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan and Canada." (John Irish : Reuters : Fri May 26, 2017) (my emphasis)

Three days before this meeting of the G7 leaders, Charles Kupchan wrote that,

"Since taking office, Donald Trump has turned his back on Ukraine, largely ignoring Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its aggression in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donbass. The costs of neglect are high. The conflict in Ukraine’s east is continuing to claim lives — some 10,000 so far — and could easily escalate .. " (Financial Times : May 23, 2017) (my emphasis)

Then, on the 29th May-2017, French President Macron and Vladimir Putin had a press conference during which Macron said,

"..About the situation in Ukraine .. We have mentioned this dossier in detail and we have talked about the so-called Minsk process .... I think we could say that it is our intention to hold a new Normandy format round of exchanges with Germany and the Ukraine and to have a complete shared analysis of the situation .. " (Full Video of press conference) (my emphasis)

Putin, however, merely mentioned the word "Ukraine" in passing, preferring to extol the virtues of the increasing trade relations between Russia and France.

In the May 20 talks between Merkel and Putin at Sochi,

"The German Chancellor said that a stable cease-fire has not been established and the Minsk agreements have not been fully implemented by now. She said she will discuss with Poroshenko further work within the framework of the Minsk agreements and the Norman format." (Censor Net : 20-5-2017) (my emphasis)

Now, as reported by Thomas Escritt and Paul Carrel,

"Deputy foreign ministers from Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia will meet in Berlin on Tuesday to discuss the Ukraine crisis in the Normandy group format, a German Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

The Normandy contact group was designed to broker a peace process in rebel-held regions in eastern parts of Ukraine.

"This is to review the current situation on the ground with regard to the ceasefire and with regard to all other commitments under the Minsk agreements," spokesman Martin Schaefer told a regular government news conference." (Reuters : Mon May 29, 2017)

Xavier Moreau (right), founder of the Stratpol Think Tank, in an interview with Putin's mouthpiece, Sputnik, stated that,
 
"It’s clear that if France says no to sanctions they will not be extended or they will be kept by certain countries on a unilateral basis. But there will be no sanctions at a European level. Of course, Germany will not keep sanctions against Russia if France removes them, because Berlin doesn’t want to lose Russia’s market to Paris," Moreau suggested.
Furthermore, the analyst pointed out that Macron can use the possible removal of anti-Russian sanctions as an instrument to bring peace to Ukraine. (Sputnik : 31.05.2017) (my emphasis)

Can President Macron, the former investment banker at Rothschild & Cie Banque, ignore the clamour of French businessmen to continue to rapidly expand their economic links with Putin's Russia, whilst Merkel's businessmen still have to suffer under Germany's sanctions regime against Putin?

Both President Macron and Angela Merkel must be keeping a rather close eye of events in the US.

If Trump manages to lift US sanctions against Russia then following quickly in his footsteps will be Macron since he has no prior political investment in the Minsk2 protocols, and since he has publicly stated that,

" I think we could say that it is our intention to hold a new Normandy format round of exchanges with Germany and the Ukraine and to have a complete shared analysis of the situation .. " (cf. above video clip of Macron)

But the chips continue to be stacked against Trump.

 MSNBC June 1, 2017

As the case against Trump continues to mount, President Macron will find it near impossible to unilaterally lift the French sanctions against Putin if the US sanctions remain intact. 

As I commented in my last blog entry (2-06-2017)

"For both Trump and Putin, speed is now of the essence to get the US sanctions unilaterally lifted. "

Just as the scarlet thread of Maidan has entwined both Trump and Putin together, it now seems as though President Macron himself is now struggling to ensure that he, too, does not become entwined by the scarlet thread of Maidan.

(to be continued)

For both Trump and Putin, speed is now of the essence to get the US sanctions unilaterally lifted.

In yesterday's blog entry I wrote that,
 
"Already Trump is on the verge of ending the sanctions imposed upon Putin by former president Obama because of Putin's meddling in the US presidential elections.

Is this the thin end of Trump's wedge to lift those US sanctions imposed upon Putin because of his annexation of Ukrainian Crimea and his ongoing war with Ukraine?

Will Trump now use the excuse of distancing himself from Europe to also get Putin off the sanctions hook?" (blog entry June 1, 2017)


It now transpires that the Trump administration tried to unilaterally lift the sanctions on Putin and his cronies within weeks of taking over the White House.. (Brian Williams Report: June 1, 2017: 11.01 pm ET)

It would now seem that Trump and his cronies in the White House are somewhat at 'panic stations' to get these sanctions lifted as soon as possible, especially in light of the impending appearance of James Comey, former FBI director, at the Senate Intelligence Committee next week.

Even more significant is the fact that,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested "patriotic" Russian citizens might be engaged in hacking.

Such individuals might be joining "the justified fight against those speaking ill of Russia," he said.
Like "artists" who get up and paint all day, he added, hackers spend their day attacking adversaries." (BBC News : 1 June 2017) (my emphasis)

By publicly undermining Trump's constant refrain that Russian hackers were not responsible for the hacking of Hilary Clinton and the DNC during the US presidential elections, is Putin signalling to Trump that he could also publicly release all the dirt he has on Trump unless Trump quickly gets rid of ALL US sanctions against him and his cronies? (cf: Guardian : Steele Confidential Report)

Just as Putin has now publicly humiliated Trump, James Comey's appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee next week will pull the rug out from under the feet of Trump.  

But Putin himself is now also panicking because the scarlet thread of Maidan is inexorably dragging Trump towards towards the dock of impeachment. 

For both Trump and Putin, speed is now of the essence to get the US sanctions unilaterally lifted. 

Ukrainians from Dnepropetrovsk (Dnipro) who have 

so far died in Putin's war with Ukraine

 

(to be continued)