This is nasty - very nasty! Germany allies itself with Russia yet
again.
The last time was the Nazi--Soviet pact of 1939 which shocked
the world and within days the tanks of WWII were rolling.
Germany this time has an oil pact with a former Chancellor
(Schroeder) on the board of Gazprom's pineline company and Germany
could with Russia divide up eastern Europe into respective zones of
influence.
So that's what Merkel was doing cosying up to the Russian president!
After all she grew up and has lived most of her life with Russia as
the power controlling her country.
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===========================
EU OBSERVER 28.8.08
Germany and Russia threaten EU-Ukraine relations
ANDREW RETTMAN
BRUSSELS - Germany's close relations with Russia are the main
obstacle to signing a major EU-Ukraine treaty at an upcoming summit
in France, Ukraine diplomats say, warning that failure to seal the
deal will signal to Moscow that it can veto EU policy on post-Soviet
states.
"There are maybe two or three countries who are strong opposers,
strong sceptics," Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Konstantin
Yeliseyev said in Brussels on Thursday (28 August), commenting on EU
reluctance to state clearly that "the future of Ukraine lies in the
European Union" in the preamble to the new treaty.
"In this regard, we count very much on the leadership of Germany,
which is the engine of EU integration and a very powerful country, we
count very much on their courage," he added, saying EU explanations -
such as lack of formal consensus among the 27 states or public
enlargement fatigue - are "not sincere."
"Some other countries like Belgium are also opposed. But Berlin is
the key," another Ukraine official said, with just 12 days to go to
the summit in Evian, France. "They are telling us the chancellory is
talking to the foreign ministry and so forth, but no matter what they
say, the real problem is Russia."
Germany and Russia have historically close relations, with former
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder currently working to help build a
new Germany-Russia gas pipeline and with the current chancellor,
Angela Merkel, opposing EU diplomatic sanctions against Russia
despite its actions in Georgia.
The statement on EU enlargement is the heart of the matter for
Ukraine, which says that if Germany's preferred wording - that the
new treaty "does not prejudge future relations" - is used, it will
effectively rule out any Ukraine moves toward EU accession for the
next 10 to 15 years, when the pact is due to expire.
Ukraine is also pressing for NATO countries to offer it a Membership
Action Plan in December, with Germany also leading opposition at NATO-
level to such a move. Mr Yeliseyev warned that lack of a clear
political commitment by the West to Ukraine will be seen by Moscow as
a green light to expand influence in the east.
"If the [EU-Ukraine] summit is not successful ... it will send
encouragement to Russia that it can influence EU policy and EU
strategy," he said. "If NATO members don't take this decision, it
will show Russia that by using force, they can influence the process
of enlargement and obtain a kind of domination of the post-Soviet
states."
The deputy minister underlined that Ukraine sees the EU as a guardian
of economic and political stability, in contrast to NATO's hard
security role."We consider NATO as a father and the EU as a mother.
With a father it's mostly physical protection, security protection.
With a mother it is mostly economic protection," he said.
Mr Yeliseyev explained that the Russia-Georgia war has raised
security concerns in Ukraine due to the situation in Crimea, where 60
percent of inhabitants are ethnically Russian and where Russia keeps
its Black Sea fleet, which was used against Georgia, making Ukraine a
"third party to this conflict."
"If Ukrainian security deteriorated, it would not be a Georgia
scenario, it would be a more dangerous scenario," he said, with the
50-million-strong former nuclear power currently controlling most of
Russia's natural gas exports to the EU.
the world and within days the tanks of WWII were rolling.
Germany this time has an oil pact with a former Chancellor
(Schroeder) on the board of Gazprom's pineline company and Germany
could with Russia divide up eastern Europe into respective zones of
influence.
So that's what Merkel was doing cosying up to the Russian president!
After all she grew up and has lived most of her life with Russia as
the power controlling her country.
xxxxxxxxxx cs
===========================
EU OBSERVER 28.8.08
Germany and Russia threaten EU-Ukraine relations
ANDREW RETTMAN
BRUSSELS - Germany's close relations with Russia are the main
obstacle to signing a major EU-Ukraine treaty at an upcoming summit
in France, Ukraine diplomats say, warning that failure to seal the
deal will signal to Moscow that it can veto EU policy on post-Soviet
states.
"There are maybe two or three countries who are strong opposers,
strong sceptics," Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Konstantin
Yeliseyev said in Brussels on Thursday (28 August), commenting on EU
reluctance to state clearly that "the future of Ukraine lies in the
European Union" in the preamble to the new treaty.
"In this regard, we count very much on the leadership of Germany,
which is the engine of EU integration and a very powerful country, we
count very much on their courage," he added, saying EU explanations -
such as lack of formal consensus among the 27 states or public
enlargement fatigue - are "not sincere."
"Some other countries like Belgium are also opposed. But Berlin is
the key," another Ukraine official said, with just 12 days to go to
the summit in Evian, France. "They are telling us the chancellory is
talking to the foreign ministry and so forth, but no matter what they
say, the real problem is Russia."
Germany and Russia have historically close relations, with former
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder currently working to help build a
new Germany-Russia gas pipeline and with the current chancellor,
Angela Merkel, opposing EU diplomatic sanctions against Russia
despite its actions in Georgia.
The statement on EU enlargement is the heart of the matter for
Ukraine, which says that if Germany's preferred wording - that the
new treaty "does not prejudge future relations" - is used, it will
effectively rule out any Ukraine moves toward EU accession for the
next 10 to 15 years, when the pact is due to expire.
Ukraine is also pressing for NATO countries to offer it a Membership
Action Plan in December, with Germany also leading opposition at NATO-
level to such a move. Mr Yeliseyev warned that lack of a clear
political commitment by the West to Ukraine will be seen by Moscow as
a green light to expand influence in the east.
"If the [EU-Ukraine] summit is not successful ... it will send
encouragement to Russia that it can influence EU policy and EU
strategy," he said. "If NATO members don't take this decision, it
will show Russia that by using force, they can influence the process
of enlargement and obtain a kind of domination of the post-Soviet
states."
The deputy minister underlined that Ukraine sees the EU as a guardian
of economic and political stability, in contrast to NATO's hard
security role."We consider NATO as a father and the EU as a mother.
With a father it's mostly physical protection, security protection.
With a mother it is mostly economic protection," he said.
Mr Yeliseyev explained that the Russia-Georgia war has raised
security concerns in Ukraine due to the situation in Crimea, where 60
percent of inhabitants are ethnically Russian and where Russia keeps
its Black Sea fleet, which was used against Georgia, making Ukraine a
"third party to this conflict."
"If Ukrainian security deteriorated, it would not be a Georgia
scenario, it would be a more dangerous scenario," he said, with the
50-million-strong former nuclear power currently controlling most of
Russia's natural gas exports to the EU.
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