The Russian-brokered ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is holding, much to the chagrin of western nations looking to use the ongoing war as an excuse to spark a new cold war. Not to worry, though, they’re going to keep trying.
President Obama announced today a round of new sanctions against Russia’s financial and energy sectors aimed at punishing them for “Russia’s illegal actions in Ukraine.” President Obama blamed Russia for the war, and the administration hasn’t seemed too happy with the peace either.
The European Union, which had announced sanctions earlier this week but delayed them because of the ceasefire, announced they’re going to implement them Friday, whether the ceasefire collapses or not.
President Obama spoke of the potential for the sanctions to be rolled back if Russia complies with the very non-specific Western demands, but the implementation of new sanctions after Russia effectively took the helm to end the Ukraine War they’ve been harping about suggests that, whatever happens in the weeks and months to come, the West will find excuses to continue the sanctions war.
With the intention to bomb Syria without notifying the Syrian government clearly on the table after last night's declaration of war or whatever, the ongoing sanction/provocation of Russia is probably a preemptive move to make Putin think twice before supporting the inevitable retaliation when Syria targets US aircraft.
If USA should start bombing Syrian troops or Syrian infrastructure, surely Putin is more then willing to give immediate delivery to Syria of an s400 missile defense system. This is the red line Russia must preserve if it is to continue having a navel base in Syria.
Putin has got to get his timing right. No easy task.
The US is going to have a lot of irons in the fire soon and he may see this as an opportunity.
But the groups that are both opposing and nominally partnering with or being obliquely helped by the US all have their own agendas and are also looking for their opportunities.
It will be hard for any of the active players, or those theoretically on the sidelines like, say, Israel, Iran and Pakistan, to come up with useful contingency plans. There are just too many variables.
It is the tinderbox that Europe was in 1914. For the remake UK rapper Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary by all accounts is playing the part of Gavrilo Princip. Putin and Obama are playing the Czar and Kaiser.
Stand well back.
Anything to drive a wedge between Russia and Europe.
In Israel, whatever the Palestinians do the Israelis build more settlements. Here, whatever the Ukrainian rebels do, the US will impose sanctions on Russia.
European journals emit reassuring grunts that there will be "no interruption in gas flows", that "stocks have been resplenished" and that "Europe is getting only x% of its gas from Russia anyway".
Nervousness seems to bubble up.
The “chagrin of western nations “??? If that’s the best Mr Ditz can come up with to try to hype all this into a victory for :Putin, then ol’ Vlad has truly suffered a crushing defeat!
Yeah, he's sure suffered a 'crushing defeat'.
Dan,
Some people think that Michael Kenny is a bot. Personally I think he's an actor, either amateur satirist or hired propagandist, performing as the Ukraine's version of Baghdad Bob.
Proud to say i gave Kenny the..? 1st thumbs down!..PUTIN 2016
winning the hearts and minds of the puny
II will propose to be adviser in EEC.I do not know where this institution takes its advisers but they are really not professionals.On which ground they put normal people in their lists ? Why Chubais who robbed Russia under Eltsin rule is not on the list ? Russian will not forget neither forgive this stupid agressive position of the west.