The 'fragrant' Federica Mogherini, former member of the Italian Communist party and currently a member of the Italian Democrats of the Left, now holds the critical position as the EU's Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Her election to this top EU post was not without critics, especially from former east European countries who are now members of the EU. They argued that she is too soft on Putin. (right: The young Mogherini with Yasser Arafat)
There was further consternation when she choose as her spokeswoman Catherine Ray (left) , the wife of
Gazprom lobbyist, Tomas Barros-Tastets.
This coming week will test severly the 'fragrant' Mogherini's political allegiance towards the EU's fractured political stance towards Putin's invasion of eastern Ukraine, and his annexation of Ukraine's Crimea and its absorbtion into Russia.
Like U.S. Department of State: 03 December 2014)
Events have somewhat moved on since then. Mogherini now has huge challenges before her as the issue of Ukraine becomes top of her agenda for the coming week.
As reported by Reuters
Ukraine Today : Dec. 15, 2014) (my emphasis)
..... raise economic, political and judicial reforms that the EU believes are urgently needed in Ukraine." (ibid Ukraine Today)
(..... raise economic, political and judicial reforms that the EU believes are urgently needed in Ukraine." (ibid Ukraine Today)
- the question of "economic, political and judicial reforms that the EU believes are urgently needed in Ukraine." (ibid Ukraine Today) as a 'stick' to get him to at least 'partially' agree to Putin's new Trojan suggestion,
- she will also use EU monetary support for Ukraine as yet another 'stick' to swing him in the direction of Putin's Trojan suggestion, and finally,
- she may suggest that Putin's Trojan Minsk Protocols be amended, something which Kutchma is aware may be in the offing. (Interfax Ukraine : 03.12.2014)
What she WILL NOT discuss is;
- all those billions that Yanukovich stole from the coffers of Ukraine and that are now propping up Putin's banks
- all the money that Putin OWES Ukraine for water, gas, and electricity that Ukrainian Crimea is still getting from Ukraine, and
- all those billions that Yanukovich and his criminal cohorts have spirited out of Ukraine whilst he was president, and that even the United States is determined to help Ukraine find and recover billions of dollars of assets it says were stolen by its former president and his aides.
What does all of this tell us about the 'fragrant' ex-communist Mogherini?
As was once said about Richard Nixon,
"Would you buy a second-hand car from this man"?
One could equally say,
"Would you buy a second-hand Mercedes from Mogherini?"
(to be continued)