Posted on 02/08/2015 10:52:44 AM PST by tcrlaf
Following yesterday's summary of the utter farce that the Minsk Summit/Ukraine "peace" deal talks have become, the various parties involved appear to be fracturing even faster today. The headlines are coming thick and fast but most prescient appears to be: Despite John Kerry's denial of any split between Germany and US over arms deliveries to Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Steinmeier slammed Washington's strategy for being "not just risky but counterproductive."
But perhaps most significantly is France's continued apparent pivot towards Russia.
Following Francois Hollande's call for greater autonomy for Eastern Ukraine, former French Pres Nicolas Sarkozy has come out in apparent support of Russia (and specifically against the US), "we are part of a common civilization with Russia, adding, "the interests of the Americans with the Russians are not the interests of Europe and Russia." Even NATO appears to have given up hope of peace as Stoltenberg's statements show little optimism and the decision by Cyprus to allow Russia to use its soil for military facilities suggests all is not at all well in the European union.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier doubled down on Germany's rejection of weapons deliveries to Ukraine in a speech here Sunday.
"I see this, to say it openly, as not just for risky but for counter-productive," Mr. Steinmeier said at the Munich Security Conference. Mr. Steinmeier also hit back at open criticism of Germany's position on weapons deliveries from US Senators and others here on Saturday. The White House is mulling delivering weapons to Ukraine to support the country's fight against pro-Russia separatists in the country's east.
"Perhaps we are so insistent because we know the region a bit," Mr. Steinmeier said.
But John Kerry says, everything's fine, as he denies any split between U.S. and Europe on Russia policy
(Excerpt) Read more at zerohedge.com ...
The most "interesting" thing to note is that both Hollande and Merkel ordered their aides out of the meeting with Putin, and spoke ALONE for almost 3 hours.
We almost had France back as a partner but Obama blew that out of the water.
No one trusts Obama.
Putin plays the great game—setting one state against another—Obama refuses to play and just lets things happen and responds. Putin knows history hasn’t changed, changing borders hasn’t stopped and will continue as it always has. Obama thinks we are in a new age where all will be different and he is a great man in his own mind. Heaven help us. Obama is in for a rude awaking moment. I fear lots of folks are going to die because of this.
“Perhaps we are so insistent because we know the region a bit,” Mr. Steinmeier said. “
Awkward quote of the day.
“Obama refuses to play and just lets things happen and responds.”
I wonder what Algerians, Libyans, Egyptians, Syrians, Israeli’s, and Ukrainian “New Russians” think about that statement?
” US on airstrikes against Syria when Obama’s ‘Red Line’ was crossed with the use of chemical weapons.”
According to ISIS. I for one am glad we didn’t bomb Assad on the behalf of the lying rebels.
Ah hell, maybe ill get a new wife outta this.
What’s interesting to me, is the apparent readiness of some FReepers to side with France on this. France!
A return to the Cold War, support for Vladimir Putin, and now even France chimes in.
Heh, no warning signals here...
The Chinese are standing ten deep waiting for Rooskie brides/
Yeah, their ladies tend to be real lookers.
I gotta find my reading glasses! I thought it said;
“US Sphincter On Ukraine”
You mean Europe isn't embracing Obama's desire to escalate Ukraine into a full-blown World War on European soil?
What nerve.
And you know, if they all decide to get a Chinese guy over me, maybe itll be time to hang up my spurs. lol
Yeah, that’s a sign when something is very wrong in a society. When a generation of men have no one to marry, and when all those Uke hotties are lonely at night.
I’m pretty sure the British 2nd Army and the French 1st Army were nowhere near Latvia during World War II.
US Sphincter On Ukraine
I didn’t see McCain mentioned specifically.
France wants to keep its own nutty sunni moslems happy, that’s why they wanted to bomb Assad. Now they side with Russia because they want to sell that warship for a billion whatever.
Germany wanted the maidan so they could control gas pipelines. But they will never fight in the east because of the other time. Poland likes the western ukes because they are catholic. Italy said they will never be involved in anything on the eastern front and continued ,,,,being Italian.
Everyone follows their own national interests,,,except the USA.
Seems France hasn't forgotten the lessons of World War I, or the 1.7 million soldiers and civilians they lost when petty regional conflicts in Eastern Europe were allowed to spiral out of control.
I believe the Russians are mobilizing right now for a war that they think is going to happen in five or six years... with somebody within the next five or six years. So says Lt. Gen. Frederick Ben Hodges, commander of U.S. Army Europe... “American engagement is essential if the West is to deter a revanchist Russia that has set out to redraw the boundaries of Europe, Gen. Hodges says... Russian President Vladimir Putin has done in Ukraine, he says, is a manifestation of a strategic view of the world... This level of assistance suggests Ukraine is not a foray, not a demonstration. They are deploying capabilities way above and beyond anything that any militia or rebel organization could ever come up with.
The fact that the political class in the West is still splitting hairs about the nature of the insurgency in Ukraine is testament to the success of the Kremlins strategy of waging war without admitting it... Gen. Hodges notes that the Russians already have an advantage in the information battleground: Theyre not burdened with the responsibility to tell the truth. So they just hammer away, and whenever somebody in the West puts out a blog or a tweet, theres an immediate counterattack by these trolls.... Gen. Hodges wont comment on the U.S. strategic-force posture in Europe other than to say he is confident in that process. But he adds that the fact that the Russians rehearse nuclear-strike scenarios shows that theyre not worried about conveying a stark message like that. You know, frankly, you hear this often from many people in the West, Oh, we dont want to provoke the Russians. I think concern about provoking the Russians is probably misplaced. You cant provoke them. Theyre already on a path to do what they want to do.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3255414/posts
The surrender monkeys think they can appease the Russkies to save their own skin. It’s not going to work.
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