How much longer will Merkel continue to cover Putin's economic back?

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)

 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.

(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)

Putin, like Trump, now finds himself caught between a rock and a hard pace.

As the Trump presidency continues to implode, Putin's payback for helping Trump gain the keys to the White House has taken yet another nosedive.

There is an old Russian saying that a "fish rots from the head". And so it is that Trump, the Manchurian Candidate that Putin caught, is now beginning to 'rot from the head', and with it Putin's payback of the lifting of US sanctions against himself and his Kremlin 'siloviki' clique for giving Trump the keys to the White House.

We now learn that the attempted lifting of US sanctions against Putin and his clique have encountered a stumbling block since the Democrats gained control of the US Congress.

As Adam Schiff (right), the incoming Chairman of the US House of Congress 'Intelligence Committee' states,
 
"It certainly now is a consistent portrait that we are getting from Veselnitskaya that that meeting in Trump Tower, the work on the Magnistky Act,her effort to do away with the sanctions that we have imposed upon the Russians ... This is being done as a part of her work on the part of the Russian government, and of course, that raises the stakes for that meeting in Trump Tower." (MSNBC : 8 Jan., 2019)

MSNBC 

And as Rachel Maddow reports,

 "We got further word today that the Chairs of 7 major committees in Congress are now challenging Trump's Treasury Secretary over a Trump administration decision that was just announced before Congress to lift sanctions on companies associated with  ... Oleg Deripaska [a member of Putin's inner-circle]..."(MSNBC : 8 Jan., 2019)

MSNBC 

Which rather once again throws into sharp relief, the adamant German excuse that Nord Stream2 is merely an "economic" project that has NOTHING to do with Putin's war with Ukraine, a view simply not accepted by many members of the EU who want its construction DELAYED as part of the EU sanctions against Putin and his 'siloviki' clique.

As I wrote in a recent blog entry (2/1/2019),


"The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman (left), is correct in stating that,

"... the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project a form of a disguised war against Europe and European consumers. “Nord Stream 2 is a form of disguised war against Europe. We know what it is to be dependent on Russia in energy. We know from our own experience how dangerous it is. Therefore, we are now considering the project as Russia's geopolitical weapon,” Groysman said, adding that Ukraine’s preservation of the status of a priority gas transit country is of great “significance in terms of security and politics" for all of Europe.” (UNIAN : 2nd January, 2019) (my emphasis)

One can now safely say that the Putinversteher 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.

Coupled with the fact that,

“Oil is flip-flopping on concerns of supply and demand,” said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. “It’s really a battle between the supply situation, which looks to be tightening, versus the possibility that demand will drop off.”
.....
Riyadh was expected to cut February prices for heavier crude grades sold to Asia due to weaker fuel oil margins while reducing prices for light grades to keep Saudi oil competitive against rising U.S. shale oil supplies, a Reuters survey showed on Thursday." (Alex Lawler (left): Reuters : 4 January, 2019) (my emphasis)",

Putin, like Trump, now finds himself caught between a rock and a hard pace.

(to be continued)

Will Putin now opt for the 'German blitzkrieg' strategy of Hitler and attack Mariupol?

In my last blog entry (2 January, 2019)I wrote that,

"Now that the Democratic Party is within a few hours short of taking full control of the US House of Congress, and with it full oversight over Trump's actions, Putin realizes that his 'Manchurian' hold over Trump is now counter-balanced by the incoming Democratic oversight over his 'Manchurian' Trump." (blog entry : 2 Jan., 2019)


And in an interview, the new Speaker of the US House of Congress, Nancy Pelosi, stated that the impeachment of Trump is now an open question. 

 MSNBC (3 January, 2019)

Even more significant, the 'Manchurian' hold that Putin has over Trump is now also bubbling to the surface.

Yesterday (3 January, 2019), Rachel Maddow reported 'strange' instances when Trump, since the start of his presidency, publicly mouthed Putin's pro-Russian propaganda.

And NOW it has just happened again!

 MSNBC (3 January, 2019)

This must be causing Putin some consternation since, as also reported by UNIAN,

"Leader of the People's Front Party Arseniy Yatsenyuk says Nancy Pelosi, the newly elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is "Ukraine's true friend."
...
 "At our last meeting in September 2018, we talked a lot about the prospects of Ukrainian-American cooperation. We are united by strong belief in the success of our partnership," he said. (UNIAN : 4 January, 2019) (my emphasis)

Added to which, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly (right), stated that,

"Ukraine expects arms supplies, including lethal weapons, from the United States in 2019.
...
"We are working together now. The Strategic Partnership Commission considers all issues, including military and technical cooperation, cooperation on security issues," he said. (UNIAN : 3 January,2019) (my emphasis)

These are not the only worries of Putin.

It is now being reported that,

"Russia has once again postponed the commissioning of the railway service via the Kerch Strait bridge over miscalculations in the blueprints of railway approaches to the bridge linking the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula with mainland Russia.
...
THERE WERE ROCK SHIFTS IN THE TUNNEL!" (UNIAN : 4 January, 2019) (my emphasis)

Added to which,

“Oil is flip-flopping on concerns of supply and demand,” said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. “It’s really a battle between the supply situation, which looks to be tightening, versus the possibility that demand will drop off.”
.....
Riyadh was expected to cut February prices for heavier crude grades sold to Asia due to weaker fuel oil margins while reducing prices for light grades to keep Saudi oil competitive against rising U.S. shale oil supplies, a Reuters survey showed on Thursday." (Alex Lawler (right): Reuters : 4 January, 2019) (my emphasis)

These developments underscore the reporting by Jamie Dettmer (left), that,


"Ukrainian officials are warning that Russia may be about to escalate its conflict with Ukraine, including possibly launching a breakout offensive from Crimea.
....
“Russia continues to build up and prepare its military forces for possible offensive operations against Ukraine from the Crimean peninsula and the East,” the institute has reported. It says Russia could conduct such operations on short notice." (VOA: ! January, 2019) (my emphasis).

Given that Putin has once again had to postpone the commissioning of the railway service via the Kerch Strait bridge, thus limiting the speed with which he can pour Russian troops and armaments into Ukraine's Crimea, will Putin now opt for the 'German blitzkrieg' strategy of Hitler and attack Mariupol?

(to be continued)

To regain his popularity in Russia, will Putin light the touchpaper of all-out war with Ukraine?

In the first two years of the 'Manchurian-Candidate' Trump presidency, Putin strutted the world stage as he flexed his 'nuclear' muscles and escalated his war with Ukraine, as evidenced by his Kerch strait attack on Ukrainian ships, the buildup of his nuclear weaponry in Ukraine's Crimea, and the further consolidation of his forces along Ukraine's border.

Now that the Democratic Party is within a few hours short of taking full control of the US House of Congress, and with it full oversight over Trump's actions, Putin realizes that his 'Manchurian' hold over Trump is now counter-balanced by the incoming Democratic oversight over his 'Manchurian' Trump.

So, as reported by Jamie Dettmer (left),

"Ukrainian officials are warning that Russia may be about to escalate its conflict with Ukraine, including possibly launching a breakout offensive from Crimea.
....
“Russia continues to build up and prepare its military forces for possible offensive operations against Ukraine from the Crimean peninsula and the East,” the institute has reported. It says Russia could conduct such operations on short notice." (VOA: ! January, 2019) (my emphasis)

UNIAN similarly reports that,

"The Russian-led occupation forces continue massing heavy weapons in the area near the Russian occupied city of Luhansk in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, and conduct live-fire exercises, preparing for active hostilities." (UNIAN : 30 Dec., 2018) (my emphasis) (cf also: OSCE report 29 Dec., 2018)

And whilst Putin is gearing up his naval and armed forces for an invasion of Ukraine, Paul Carrell (left) reports that,

"U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Russian-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline is no reason to stop the project and any attempt to do so would be difficult now that it is being built, [Germany's] European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said.
...
Germany refuses to join opposition to the project from many EU states and - thus far - from the EU executive, describing it as a private enterprise." (Reuters : 28 December, 2018) (my emphasis)


The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman (left), is correct in stating that,

"... the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project a form of a disguised war against Europe and European consumers. “Nord Stream 2 is a form of disguised war against Europe. We know what it is to be dependent on Russia in energy. We know from our own experience how dangerous it is. Therefore, we are now considering the project as Russia's geopolitical weapon,” Groysman said, adding that Ukraine’s preservation of the status of a priority gas transit country is of great “significance in terms of security and politics" for all of Europe.” (UNIAN : 2nd January, 2019) (my emphasis)

One can now safely say that the Putinversteher 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!

And whilst Putin continues to flex his Russian military and German political-economic muscles, ordinary Russia people are beginning to publicly express their growing dislike of his actions at home.

As reported by Echo msk., Putin's [2019] New Year address to the Russian people

 Дорогие россияне поставили президенту массу дизлайков в YouTube. На странице «России-1» новогоднее обращение получило около тысячи «лайков» и более 4 тысяч «дизлайков», то есть знаков одобрения и неодобрения соответственно.

У обращения на «Первом канале – 12 тысяч «лайков», а «дизлайков» — больше 66 тысяч. Это притом, что по декабрьским данным ВЦИОМа, деятельность президента одобряет почти 65% россиян, а количество «лайков» легко накрутить с помощью прокремлевских ботов.

" (Google Translate) ... have put a lot of dizlik on YouTube to the president. On the Russia-1 page, the New Year's appeal received about a thousand “likes” and more than 4 thousand “dislikes”, that is, signs of approval and disapproval, respectively.

The appeal on Channel One has 12 thousand likes, and the dislikes have more than 66 thousand. This is despite the fact that according to the December data of the VTsIOM, the president’s activities are approved by almost 65% of Russians, and the number of “likes” is easily crafted using pro-Kremlin bots." (Echo msk. : 1st January, 2019) (my emphasis) (cf also: Paul Goble: 1 January, 2019)

As the people of Russia continue to suffer the privations brought upon them by Putin placing his ego and the continued enrichment of his 'siloviki' clan above that of the daily deprivations that this has caused for the Russian people, what does 2019 have in store for the Russian people?

To regain his standing among the people of Russia, will he finally light the touchpaper of all-out war with Ukraine?

(to be continued)

Is Putin beginning to fall into the abyss of starting WW3?

Iryna Nazarchuk has reported that,

"British defense minister Gavin Williamson (left) visited Ukraine on Friday where he told his Ukrainian counterpart that the Black Sea did not belong to Russia and that Britain had sent a Royal Navy ship there to show Kiev did not stand alone." (Reuters : 21 Dec., 2018) (my emphasis)

Mail Online

At the same time, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, stated that,

"Last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told journalists in Brussels the North Atlantic alliance would be taking more of a “leadership” role in defending Ukraine. “We are also supporting Ukraine to improve its naval capabilities,” Stoltenberg said." (Anna Nemtsova : Daily Beast : 21 Dec., 2018) (my emphasis)

Earlier, during his four-hour press conference Thursday (20 Dec., 2018) Putin,

" .... showed no sign he’d be softening his position on the Kerch Strait or in the Sea of Azov to respect Ukrainian sovereignty. “We have a right and we will design our military policy the way we consider necessary,” he said. “If General Staff [of the Armed Forces], the border guard service, think we need to reinforce security on a certain territory, we are going to do it.” (ibid Anna Nemtsova) (my emphasis)

More disconcerting, however, at his marathon press conference last Thursday, Putin rather bluntly stated that,

" ... The danger of the situation escalating is being downplayed. It now seems to be impossible ... something not of crucial importance .. But at the same time if something like this would happen this might lead to the collapse of the entire civilization ... maybe our planet ..."

According to Russian opposition leader Dmitry Gudko (left),

“Putin’s popularity is now down to 45 percent, as low as it was before he annexed Crimea; so he needs a little victorious war again to boost his rating, or at least to keep it from fading away.” (ibid Anna Nemtsova) (my emphasis)

Would Putin start a nuclear war simply to boost his ratings?

As I wrote in my last blog entry (12/12/2018),

"Let us not forget the Moscow apartment bombings in 1999 that killed 293 innocent Russian civilians, and injured more than 1,000, and that pointed directly to Putin as the perpetrator of this massacre upon his own people. (cf. CBC : 8 January 2015, Wikipedia, David Satter ; National Review (17 Aug., 2017), Scott Anderson : GQ (March 30, 2017) )

These bombings catapulted Putin into his first term as president of Russia.

Let us now remind ourselves that,

"Moscow's persistence in claiming that Ukraine is plotting a chemical attack in the occupied Donbas raises serious concerns, says Ukrainian MP Dmytro Tymchuk, who is also a coordinator of the Information Resistance OSINT group.
...
On November 26, a statement was made by Russian ambassador to the OSCE, A. Lukashevich (left), that the Ukrainian Armed Forces "are preparing a provocation with the use of chemical weapons in Donbas."
...
[Furthermore], on December 5, at a briefing of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Zakharova (left) told the same thing, adding: “Such actions can lead to civilian casualties and contradict not only the Minsk Agreements, but also international agreements on the prohibition and restriction of weapons of mass destruction...” (UNIAN : 10 December, 2018) (my emphasis)

When viewed against Putin's recent statement about the "danger of the situation [at the Kerch Strait entrance into the Sea of Azov] escalating", we can discern a propaganda pattern that Putin is using as a prelude to legitimize a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

If, however, Putin thought that the current preoccupation of the US Senate and House of Congress with the increasing problems confronting Trump's hold on the US presidency will somehow divert their attentions away from his rapidly escalating move to invade Ukraine, he has sorely miscalculated.

In a press release by Senator Ron Johnson,

"U.S. Senators Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) (left: Durbin and Johnson), and 39 of their colleagues introduced a resolution calling for a prompt multinational freedom of navigation operation in the Black Sea and the cancellation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in response to Russia’s recent aggressive actions in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov. (my emphasis)


“The United States and our allies need to rapidly counter Russia’s military aggression in the Kerch Strait with strong and resolute action,” Sen. Johnson said. “Assembling a multinational freedom of navigation operation in the Black Sea to help ensure safe passage into the Sea of Azov, combined with cancellation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is exactly the kind of response Putin needs to see.” (19 December, 2018) (their emphasis) (Full text of resolution)

 
As ships of NATO, the US, and Great Britain begin to assemble in the Black Sea and, possibly, head towards the Kerch Strait entrance into the Sea of Azov and towards Ukraine's port of Mariupol, will Putin stand in their way?

Should we take him at his word when he said that,

"... The danger of the situation escalating is being downplayed. It now seems to be impossible ... something not of crucial importance .. But at the same time if something like this would happen this might lead to the collapse of the entire civilization ... maybe our planet ..."?

 

Is Putin beginning to fall into the abyss of starting WW3?

(to be continued)

Is Putin throwing Maria Butina OR Donald Trump under the bus.

In August of 2014, the massacre of Ukrainian soldiers retreating from the city of Illovaisk, after being surrounded by Putin's Russian soldiers, took place.

This massacre committed by Putin's soldiers and his proxies in Illovaisk occurred AFTER Putin himself agreed that those encircled Ukrainian soldiers would be allowed to SAFELY retreat from Illovaisk. (cf: Wikipedia, Lucian Kim: Newsweek(Reuters): 4 November, 2014 , BBC : 20 August, 2014)

 

Fast forward to 2018 and we have Putin preparing another Illovaisk massacre.

As reported by UNIAN,

"Military columnist and expert with the Information Resistance OSINT community, Yuriy Karin, has said Russia, to destabilize the situation in Ukraine, may set up another "Ilovaisk pocket."" (UNIAN : Wednesday 12 December, 2018) (my emphasis)

What is more disturbing, as reported by UNIAN,

"Moscow's persistence in claiming that Ukraine is plotting a chemical attack in the occupied Donbas raises serious concerns, says Ukrainian MP Dmytro Tymchuk, who is also a coordinator of the Information Resistance OSINT group.
...
On November 26, a statement was made by Russian ambassador to the OSCE, A. Lukashevich (right), that the Ukrainian Armed Forces "are preparing a provocation with the use of chemical weapons in Donbas."
...
On December 5, at a briefing of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Zakharova (left) told the same thing, adding: “Such actions can lead to civilian casualties and contradict not only the Minsk Agreements, but also international agreements on the prohibition and restriction of weapons of mass destruction...”
(UNIAN : 10 December, 2018) (my emphasis)

Let us not forget the Moscow apartment bombings in 1999 that killed 293 innocent Russian civilians, and injured more than 1,000, and that pointed directly to Putin as the perpetrator of this massacre upon his own people. (cf. CBC : 8 January 2015, Wikipedia, David Satter ; National Review (17 Aug., 2017), Scott Anderson : GQ (March 30, 2017) )

Like Trump, who is now trapped in the evidence-vice of the Mueller investigation into his collusion with Putin during the 2016 US presidential elections, Putin realizes his mis-calculation in attacking Ukraine's ships at the mouth of the Sea of Azov.

No more is this evidenced than by the fact that,

"Today (11 Dec., 2018), the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 1162, which renews calls for Russia to end hostilities that violate Ukraine’s sovereignty, reaffirms the House’s commitment to Ukraine’s independence and security, and urges the president to hold Russia accountable for its aggressive behavior. Passage of the resolution comes in the wake of Russia’s seizure last month of Ukrainian ships and crew in the Azov Sea." (US Foreign Affairs Committee : 11 Dec., 2018) (my emphasis)

 As Paul Gregory (left) also notes,

"Germany has been a lonely supporter of NS2, a pipeline being built by Russia’s gas monopoly, Gazprom, and German/Austrian utility giants
under the Baltic Sea to deliver Russian natural gas directly to Germany.
.....
The election of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
(AKK) (right) to succeed Merkel as head of the Christian Democrats (CDU) has provided an
impetus to reconsider the NS2 project, which the influential German newspaper, Die Zeit, calls a “foreign policy disaster for Germany.”
.....
Putin himself, not Germany, reopened the NS2 debate with his blocking the Sea of Azov, seizing Ukrainian naval vessels and charging Ukrainian navy men with criminal acts.
.....
With such rogue behavior, it is increasingly difficult for Germany’s Putin Versteher to argue that NS2 is simply a normal commercial deal. It should be increasingly clear that Gazprom is not a commercial business but an arm of Russian geopolitical policy. (The Hill : 12 Dec., 2018) (my emphasis)

And now we also have Pete Madden, Katherine Faulders, and Matthew Mosk reporting that,

"Maria Butina (left), a 30-year-old Russian gun rights activist who stands accused developing a covert influence operation in the United States, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and cooperate with federal, state and local authorities in any ongoing investigations.
.....
Based on the description, the “Russian Official” appears to be Alexander Torshin, deputy governor of the Russian Central Bank and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under his direction, the agreement said, she “sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics.” (ABC News: 10 Dec., 2018) (my emphasis)

ABC News 10 Dec., 2018

Putin's response to this development, was to feign complete ignorance of Butina, even though Alexander Torshin, Putin's deputy governor of his Central Bank, was her handler.

MSNBC (Dec 12, 2018)

Which rather raises the interesting question,

"In light of the international response to his recent rogue behaviour at the mouth of the Sea of Azov (seizing Ukrainian naval vessels and charging Ukrainian navy men with criminal acts), and given that Nord Stream2 may be "reconsidered" by Merkel's CDU successor, is Putin now throwing Maria Butina OR Donald Trump under the bus?

(to be continued)

Putin's finger is now hovering over his nuclear button.

Putin's recent attack on Ukraine's ships at the Kerch Strait entrance into the Sea of Azov has had an international response that he did not quite expect.

As reported by Ryan Browne,

"The US has begun making the necessary preparations to sail a warship into the Black Sea, a move that comes amid heightened tensions in the region following Russia's seizure of Ukrainian ships and detention of Ukrainian sailors.

The US military has requested that the State Department notify Turkey of its possible plans to sail a warship into the Black Sea, three US officials tell CNN, a move they said is a response to Russia's actions against Ukraine in the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov." (CNN : 5 December, 2018) (my emphasis)

We now also have more NATO ships patrolling in the Black Sea.

As reported by Daniel McLaughlin,

"Mr Stoltenberg (left) [ Head of NATO] noted that ships under Nato command have spent 120 days in the Black Sea this year compared with 80 last year, as it continues to strengthen its presence in the region “in response to Russia’s aggressive actions” of recent years.

“So there is already a lot of Nato in the Black Sea. And we will continue to assess our presence in the region,” he added." (The Irish Times : 4 Dec., 2018) (my emphasis)

Added to which,

"A US Air Force OC-135 observation aircraft conducted an "extraordinary flight" Thursday under the Open Skies treaty "to reaffirm US commitment to Ukraine" amid Russia-Ukraine tensions, the Pentagon said.

The Defense Department said US, Canadian, German, French, United Kingdom, Romanian and Ukrainian observers were aboard the aircraft during the observation flight. This flight was requested by the Arms Control Directorate of the Ukrainian General Staff." (Ryan Browne : CNN : 6 December, 2018) (my emphasis)

In an ominous development, Matt Drake reports that,

"Deadly Russian submarine rushed to border as WW3 tensions reach BREAKING POINT

The Kilo-class submarine, dubbed the "Black Hole" due to its ability to disappear suddenly, has been snapped leaving the major Black Sea port of Sevastopol." (Daily Star : 7 December, 2018) (my emphasis)

This was followed by that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov,reacting negatively to a suggestion by German foreign minister, Heiko Mass, that the Osce monitoring mission should extend to the Sea of Azov.

As reported by Yuras Karmanau and Nataliya Vasilyeva,

"[Lavrov (right) retorted by] saying that Russia “has no need” for any intermediaries or monitors in the area." (Independent IE (Associated Press) : 7 December, 2018) (my emphasis)

This rapid escalation of events in the Black Sea has now been further compounded by the fact that,

"Ukraine’s defence ministry has warned Russia it will soon send navy ships through the Kerch Strait where Russia fired on and seized three Ukrainian vessels two weeks ago.

The announcement sets up another possible flashpoint in the long-simmering conflict between Russia and Ukraine that erupted in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula ...." (Breaking News (Press Association) : 7 December,2018) (my emphasis)

Let us recall that just before he was elected president of Russia, Putin boasted about his nuclear arsenal.

In an interview (March, 2018) with Megyn Kelly, just before he was once more given the keys to the Kremlin, Putin stated that,

"We have two reasons that would force us to respond using our nuclear weapons.

• The first is a nuclear attack against us, or 
• An attack against the Russian Federation using conventional weapons, but in this case, if it's a very threat to the existence of the Russian State

YouTube March 2018

Does Putin now view the sending of NATO and US warships to the Black Sea, and the conducting of  an "extraordinary flight" Thursday under the Open Skies treaty "to reaffirm US commitment to Ukraine" amid Russia-Ukraine tensions, a very threat to the existence of the Russian State?

Putin's finger is now hovering over his nuclear button.

(to be continued)