Will the West Ever Stand Up to Putin?

[rangerrebew]

Will the West Ever Stand Up to Putin?
By Hanna Hopko
October 14, 2016

German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested that the Normandy Four—leaders from France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine—gather on October 19 to discuss the war in Ukraine.

But this is premature. Nothing will come out of this meeting without a detailed roadmap for a real ceasefire and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s adherence to fully implement the Minsk agreements.

Russia is essentially demanding that Ukraine fully implement Minsk, including the holding of elections in Russian-occupied territory in the Donbas, while meeting a tiny part (at most one percent) of its Minsk obligations. After all, the most basic requirement of Minsk is an end to the shooting, but there has not been one day since the first ceasefire was agreed to over two years ago that there has not been shelling from the Russian-controlled side of the contact line. This is not a genuine offer to secure peace; it’s just a game. The Kremlin must be completely isolated until the shelling in the Donbas stops.

http://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2016/10/14/will_the_west_ever_stand_up_to_putin_110208.html

[rangerrebew]

If we remember Obama telling then President Medvedev he would be able to help more in his second term, we can safely guess that Obama might attack Putin with smoke and mirrors but otherwise he will do nothing.

[geronl]

Now we're onto nuclear blackmail against Poland and the baltics