"What Putin called “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century” starts to look permanent. Germany will have replaced Russia as the dominant power in Europe, Poland will shift from the frontier of Europe toward its heart, and Putin will go down in Russian history as the man who lost Ukraine."Look for the deal to be signed later this month. Despite Russia's fury, the only roadblock may be the EU's insistence that former PM, Yulia Timoschenko, be freed from jail. As Mead wrote: "If (the Ukraine) moves toward the EU, the old Russia of the tsars and the commissars is dead".
"Largely missed by the mainstream media, is the continuing rise of unified Germany. With Russia crippled by the failure of Putin’s state building project, France in sharp decline, Britain divided against itself and unable to develop a serious European policy, Germany’s position in Europe is startlingly strong."
I believe a sub-theme to this story is new pipelines out of the Middle East through Turkey and Syria which make Russia's power to put Ukraine and the EU in the cold and dark less fearsome. The first pipeline is in place and the second is on hold pending outcomes in Syria.
UPDATE: Ukraine stopped importing gas from Gazprom, counting on stockpiles, the EU deal and new pipelines to let it survive a punishing cut-off from Russia. It also stopped paying its gas bill which was the highest in Europe @ $400/M cubic meters. From viamedia.
UPDATE November 21st: Ukraine's president blocks agreement to release Tymoschenko.
UPDATE: Ukraine stopped importing gas from Gazprom, counting on stockpiles, the EU deal and new pipelines to let it survive a punishing cut-off from Russia. It also stopped paying its gas bill which was the highest in Europe @ $400/M cubic meters. From viamedia.
UPDATE November 21st: Ukraine's president blocks agreement to release Tymoschenko.
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| Gas comes in from Russia and on to the EU. |
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| Is a post-Assad Iraq-Syrian mega-pipeline in the works? Link to supporting story. |
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