Ukraine crisis: Angry Angela Merkel questions whether Putin is 'in touch with reality'

Telegraph ^ | 1:42PM GMT 03 Mar 2014 | Tony Paterson, Berlin

[DaveMSmith]

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel is reported to have become “really annoyed” about Russian President Vladimir Putin and has questioned whether he “was still in touch with reality.”

The German mass circulation Bild newspaper wrote on Monday that during a telephone conversation she held with US President Barack Obama to discuss the growing crisis in Ukraine she complained that Mr Putin was “living in another world.”

“She appears to have become really annoyed,” Bild remarked. The paper said it had gained inside information on the telephone exchange between the US and German leaders from American sources.

The two leaders roundly criticised Mr Putin in their conversation and agreed that Russia’s military intervention in Crimea was in violation of international law. A German government spokesman said that both stressed that it was important for the international community to respond to the crisis in unison.

Both were said to be in favour of sending an immediate fact finding mission to Ukraine and backed the idea of setting up of a contact group, possibly overseen by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the aim of ending the crisis through political dialogue.

[fabian]

Doesn’t matter..Putin still invaded it and now the cowardly trooper leaders will not disclose themselves as Russian.

[hummingbird]

"...Moscow-backed government set a referendum within 10 days on the decision in a dramatic escalation of the crisis over the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula."

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Seems like Crimea is not on a "dramatic escalation of the crisis."

Maybe Obama and Merkel are the ones escalation a crisis where their really isn't one as they speak it.

Obama and Merkel are huffing and puffing maybe for show of strength when in fact their is none and it shows their impenitence in foreign affair "reality".

Just sayin'.............

[hummingbird]

" I put a little red arrow there as it was another indication of his ‘secretiveness’."

-------------------------->P>

Which photo, I've missed it, I think.

I want to get that book by Dr. Lillian Glass

(http://www.drlillianglass.com/) just to classify Obama's body language.

We all know about his subservient bowing to Japanese leader and Saudi leader. That was a total 'tail between his legs' embarrassment.

[hummingbird]

"Doesn’t matter..Putin still invaded it and now the cowardly trooper leaders will not disclose themselves as Russian."

---------------------------------------------->

Thanks for reply.

I thought Russians in Crimea were kind of like US in South Korea - that there was a certain number of Russians already there and that Putin was increasing presence by adding 6,000 more troops.

I think there is an agreement that Russia can have a set amount of military in Crimea - that and no more and, at this point, Putin has not gone over.

Any Freepers know about military treaty between Crimea and Russia?

I read it SOMEWHERE or I DREAMED it. So, I'm not really reliable!

[Marguerite]

“My understanding is that Crimea is an autonomous region, a little bit Russian and a little bit Ukrainian.”

60% of Crimea population are ethnic Russians, and speak Russian.
Other 28% are russophones.
12% of the population are Tartars (muslims).

98% of the population speak Russian.
At the last parliment elections, the Block Russia got 83% of votes, and it got 78 seats out of 81.

[potlatch]

[Which photo, I've missed it, I think.]

Red arrow is in the one you first replied to;

#35

Here is a slideshow of the Obama bows you spoke of. Obama actually gives Putin a small bow in it;