Posted on 10/16/2014 7:21:14 AM PDT by Olog-hai
In a 20-minute address to the German parliament on Thursday, covering a range of policy issues, German Chancellor Angela Merkel placed emphasis on the crisis in Ukraine. Merkel’s speech came ahead of direct talks with Russian and Ukrainian leaders at the European-Asian ASEM summit that also opens on Thursday in the Italian city of Milan.
“The situation on the ground in Ukraine is dire,” Merkel said in front of Bundestag lawmakers, adding: “I will speak face-to-face with [Russian President Vladimir Putin] and [Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko] about ways to move forward in constructive fashion while in Milan.” […]
Merkel’s address quickly moved to other economic matters, namely the “ongoing” financial crisis in the EU. “The crisis has not yet been overcome,” Merkel warned, “not fully, not in any lasting, sustainable way.” The chancellor went on to underline her intention of campaigning for more fiscal cooperation and coordination among member states. “Every EU nation must fully accept the rules of the stability and growth pact,” Merkel said. …
(Excerpt) Read more at dw.de ...
Interesting. Thanks for posting.
Germany is blinking first. Expect some hints of “relaxation” vis-a-vis Russia.
Since Germany and Russia are the two big powers on the block and want to keep any other power (like the United States) from their region, it would make sense for Berlin and Moscow to want to forge an agreement to divide up the neighborhood—such as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which had secret protocol dividing the independent countries of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania into either the Nazi or Soviet spheres of influence. Most of those countries have since sided with Washington, but if Germany and Russia make some sort of deal, it will be open season on American influence in Europe. …And that was six years ago. In light of that ongoing situation, is it really “blinking”?
Germany is facing economic headwinds. Not discounting the spheres of influence concept/arrangement, but I think that economic interests are an influential, if not driving, component in all this.
Whatever the backdrop actually is, this is an interesting development to follow.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.