In fact, between Angela Merkel (Angela Merkel) and Vladimir Putin says it all. The Russian President must finally ensure that Ukraine was the world. Two years ago, Putin and Merkel in Minsk Belarusian personally agreed on a complex plan for a truce, which was to become a long-term solution for the ravaged country. However, the “Minsk-2”, as this agreement is called in the language of diplomats, and was never fully implemented. Russian-backed separatists do not adhere to the truce.
As long as everything remains so, the EU will maintain its sanctions against Russia. As long as everything remains so, Putin will not be invited to the summits “the Big seven” Western heads of state and government. And yet everything remains so, Angela Merkel, in fact, was not going over to visit Russia for symbolic reasons. However, the negotiation thread between the Chancellor and Putin have never stopped. On the contrary: to any other Western politician Putin after the start of the crisis in Ukraine has not talked on the phone as often as with Merkel.
Now, however, Merkel has decided otherwise. Now she personally goes to Putin. Because although the truce in the East of Ukraine was never implemented, but over the past six months, the situation in the world changed decisively. With Donald trump President of the United States was a man who during the election campaign and for a long time then acted as a puppet of Moscow. However, after taking office, trump has changed course on a controlled confrontation. When Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad (Baschar al-Assad), ward, Putin allegedly has used chemical weapons against its own population, trump sent a cruise missile. He had already informed Putin, but didn’t ask him.
If Putin will meet Merkel will bring him the bridges
The still unpredictable U.S. President strategic starting position is changed so that Merkel needs to re-figure out what is the position of Russia. She kind of wants to look Putin in the eye.
Because although the Russian President with his expansionist strategy and have returned to the world stage, however, the price for this was high. And in Ukraine, and in Syria Russia has a lot to invest just to maintain the unstable status quo. Resources badly needed for modernization of their own country, runs out on expensive foreign battlefields.
If Putin at least will understand that seeking a way out, Merkel will bring to him any bridges. The hope is in the office of the Chancellor is not lost, although it is not great.
Because last meeting, Merkel and Putin became a sort of test of strength, as it was almost in the same days during the recent visit of Angela Merkel in Russia two years ago. Then she, in fact, were not going to come because of Ukraine. However, for the 70th anniversary of the liberation by the red Army from fascism it could not offend Moscow. So she chose an intermediate solution, which had to meet the historic responsibility of Germany and to Express criticism of the current Russian aggression. She arrived to Moscow for the big parade, and the next day to lay a wreath at the Kremlin wall.
However, just at that moment there suddenly marched soldiers in uniform. It was a clear sign Putin: we decide in what form you have our respect.
However, Merkel has not once she dared to measure strength with this hard man. In the summer of 2013 — that is, before the escalation in the Ukraine — she has visited Saint-Petersburg international economic forum, the Russian equivalent of the Hanover fair. In addition it was planned to visit the Hermitage, the legendary Museum. The highlight of the program was the fact that some of the exhibits belonged to the “trophy art”, that is, it was stolen after the second world war from German museums cultural values.
However, shortly before leaving Merkel in St. Petersburg, the Russian Protocol is deleted from the program speech Merkel in the Hermitage: it had the right only to silently open an exhibition of trophy art. The Chancellor was stubborn and wanted to go back without the already announced visit of the exhibition. Then Putin went to meet him. For the first time since 1945 in the Russian Museum was open talk about the German position on the question of trophy art: “We believe these exhibits should be returned to Germany and transferred to their rightful owners or their heirs — and we will continue to talk about this.”
Almost legendary has become a test of strength, which Putin has made Sochi a decade ago. Then Merkel is deliberately conducted interviews with Putin differently than her predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder (Gerhard Schröder). Unlike the social-Democrat she refused to talk with Putin eye to eye. She wanted to negotiate together with your key staff to dispel the impression of excessive confidence and intimacy, which baffled the Eastern European countries.
Putin is annoyed, and he responded with a gesture of intimidation. When he and Merkel posed in front of cameras and photographers, the room suddenly became the dog: Labrador Koni sniffed the Chancellor. Although she was joking, but in reality she was not joking. Merkel dislikes dogs, since as a child she was once bitten by a dog. Is this just an aversion to these animals, or, as sometimes reported, it is even a phobia is unclear. Putin wanted thereby to give a signal: we know all about your weaknesses.
Drawstring on implementing the Minsk agreements, Putin and Merkel have a lot of time arguing — on the other side of the world. In Brisbane, on the sidelines of the summit of “Big twenty”, Merkel specially arrived at the hotel, where he stopped Putin. However, four hours later they dispersed, so anything and not agreeing. The last time Putin was in Berlin in October last year, he participated in the negotiations in the office of the Chancellor Merkel, French President Francois Hollande (François Hollande) and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
As a special gift of the guest, Putin brought a truce. But not in Ukraine, and in Syria, where Russian bombers for a few hours stopped the raids. Then it was one of the conditions Merkel, hostess of the meeting. Now in Sochi she’s a guest. And could not put forward any preconditions.
