When Washington spat in the face not only of Germany and France and the EU, but in the face of Russia and of Ukraine itself, by dictating the persons to run the new Kiev coup regime, headed by their choice of Prime Minister, reputed high-ranking Scientologst, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Germany and France swallowed hard. They groveled behind the lead of the Washington warhawks in the Obama Administration. The EU unanimously voted US-dictated sanctions repeatedly against Russia after the March, 2014 referendum on Crimea. German industry protested openly. Merkel’s government bowed before NATO and Washington, and the German economy began to go into recession along with the rest of the EU.
Now something highly unusual is taking place. France and Germany are openly again defying Obama’s Washington. On the night of February 4, Merkel and French President Hollande quickly decided to fly together to Moscow to meet Russia’s Putin. The purpose, as Putin spokesman stated was that the, “leaders of the three states will discuss what specifically the countries can do to contribute to speedy end of the civil war in the southeast of Ukraine, which has escalated in recent days and resulted in many casualties."
The most interesting part of the quick trip is that the “vassal” heads, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande did not ask permission from Washington first according to a French government source. Announcing the spontaneous Moscow trip, Hollande told the press, “Together with Angela Merkel we have decided to take a new initiative."
More interesting, their “new initiative” comes as US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Kiev meeting President Poroschenko to discuss possible US weapons deliveries to Kiev, Washington’s preferred brand of “diplomacy” at the moment. The Moscow talks between Putin, Merkel and Hollande reportedly followed “secret” talks between Paris, Berlin and Moscow.
The latest joint German-French diplomatic moves as John Kerry was in Kiev discussing US weapons for Ukraine. Le Nouvel Observateur journalist Vincent Jauvert says Hollande and Merkel’s suddent decision to talk with Putin in Moscow came as an attempt “to get ahead of the Americans who are trying to impose their solution to the problem on Westerners: a transfer of weapons to Ukraine.” He said the two leaders went to Kiev straight after Kerry, as they “distrust the American administration,” and want to “present their diplomatic solutions just before US Vice President Joe Biden presents the US plan of sending lethal weapons to Kiev at the Munich security conference on Saturday."
The coming weeks will clearly be decisive for world peace. To parody an old children’s song I sang as a kid, Atlantic Bridge is Falling Down, Falling Down, Falling Down…(To be sung to the melody of London Bridge is falling down). It is time for a new, stable bridge in its place, but that won’t come from the Munich Security Conference message of Joe Biden.
The US Air Force dispatched a dozen A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jets and about 300 airmen to Germany as part of a military exercise, which is expected to involve NATO allies in Eastern Europe amid simmering tensions over Ukraine.
The Cold War-era aircraft, nicknamed the Warthog, on Monday departed Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona for Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Lt. Col. Christopher Karns, a spokesman for the Air Force at the Pentagon, said the aircraft would “forward-deploy” to sites in Eastern European NATO states, where the units will participate in training with allied forces to “strengthen interoperability and…demonstrate US commitment to the security and stability of Europe," he told military.com.
The deployment comes as the US House of Representatives introduced legislation authorizing $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine through 2017. If authorized, the package would allow the Pentagon to provide to the Ukraine military “training equipment, lethal weapons of a defensive nature, logistics support, supplies and services.”
The provisions of the bill, according to its authors, are designed to protect Ukraine’s “sovereign territory against foreign aggressors,” and defend Ukrainians from attacks by “Russian-backed separatists.”
Russia said Tuesday that Washington’s plans to supply Kiev with weapons would further destabilize the situation in Ukraine.
Iran marked the 36th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday as the country continues negotiations with world powers over its contested nuclear program.
State television aired footage of commemorations in Tehran and elsewhere across the country. Some participants chanted “Down with the US” and “Death to Israel.”
“We seek a win-win agreement, according to which Iran would [guarantee] the transparency of its peaceful nuclear activities within the framework of international law and the opposite side should put an end to inhumane and illegal sanctions. This will benefit both sides,” said Rouhani, according to the Iranian Press TV.
The president also lashed out at the “Zionists” who he said “have made all efforts to scuttle negotiations.”
Rouhani implicitly linked ongoing nuclear talks with world powers to resolving bloody conflicts in Iraq and Syria.
“If there is going to be peace and stability in the region, and terrorism is to be uprooted, there is no other way than with the presence of the Islamic republic of Iran,” he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday released a statement explaining that he intends to go ahead with a contentious address to the US Senate on March 3 in order to dissuade the Obama Administration from negotiating with Iran a nuclear agreement that would endanger the Jewish state.
“I am going to the United States not because I seek a confrontation with the President, but because I must fulfill my obligation to speak up on a matter that affects the very survival of my country,” said Netanyahu.
The Obama Administration has been irate over Netanyahu’s scheduled speech, and a number of top Democrats, including Vice President Joe Biden, have announced they will not be present for the Israeli leader’s appearance.
But many in Israel, Netanyahu among them, have suggested that it is Israelis who should be upset over the Obama Administration’s handling of the Iran nuclear crisis, which first and foremost threatens the Jewish state.
“…we do have today a profound disagreement with the United States administration and the rest of the P5+1 over the offer that has been made to Iran,” Netanyahu noted. “This offer would enable Iran to threaten Israel’s survival. …It would be able, under this deal, to break out to a nuclear weapon in a short time, and within a few years, to have the industrial capability to produce many nuclear bombs for the goal of our destruction.”
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