Berlin, Paris and Moscow walk into a bar. And talk about Ukraine behind its back.
That’s what happened on March 30, when the leaders of these countries — Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin — had a teleconference to talk about the war in Ukraine without Ukraine. The troika has reportedly even discussed a peace plan.
The Normandy Format peace talks were supposed to be the only way to end the war in the Donbas that killed over 13,000 people since Russia started it in 2014.
Now, it turns out that the main European powers, on whom Ukraine has relied, are happy to make decisions on its behalf. They do know that Russia wants to carve up Ukraine and destroy it as an entity, right? Admittedly, Macron, Merkel and Putin talked about other things too. But then why touch the subject of Ukraine at all? Did they gossip about Japan or Britain? Unlikely.
Such things happened before, when, during President Petro Poroshenko’s tenure, France and Germany held negotiations separately with Ukraine and Russia. But such meetings usually mean the negotiation process is in crisis. France and Germany made fools of themselves and stepped on Ukraine’s toes. But it doesn’t appear that they achieved anything.
What’s the point of peace talks that don’t include the victim that’s been illegally invaded and brutalized? That’s no way to achieve a result that won’t play into Russia’s hands. Russia wants to see Ukraine relegated to a status of a non-state that can’t speak for itself. By talking about peace in Ukraine without Ukraine, France and Germany are making the gremlin in the Kremlin very happy.
Putin is trying to kill the Normandy Format and maintain the war in Ukraine indefinitely, to wield it as a geopolitical tool. Moscow is jubilant — that was clear when Putin’s spokesman leaked the news about the meeting.
Ukraine needs to react to such a betrayal. The Foreign Ministry and President Volodymyr Zelensky need to show what they stand for — to send concrete signals that there can’t be decisions made about Ukraine without Ukraine present at the table. And the West needs to finally connect the very obvious dots and embrace the uncomfortable conclusion that the Kremlin dictator can’t be appeased.
(c) KyivPost
Zelensky said sweet FA. I don’t think he knows how to say the word Russia, he is betraying Ukraine as much as the Krauts and Frogs. It’s time Ukraine told the Krauts and Frogs to GFY, and send an invite to the UK and US to negotiate, the EU will destroy Ukraine to please their master in the Kremlin.
Trusting Frogland and Germanystan to help Ukraine is like trusting a pedophile to care for your children or termites to care for your house. They will only follow their own interests. Ukraine should eject them from any further talks. This would be a heavy diplomatic blow to them. Certainly, they have proven to be thoroughly inept in foreign policy. Nothing they have done in this regard has been worth more than a cow pie on a pasture.
The US need to step up to the plate. We keep hearing about support for Ukraine, let’s see it in negotiations, and kick the jellyfish out.
I’m afraid that the mummy has all but forgotten about Ukraine. Maybe the country reminds him too much about his son’s dirty dealings in the region.
You will never convince me Germany and France did not green light this escalation and possible attack.
The time is to close and smacks of Ribbentrop/Molotov like deal.
I just wonder what Putin promised them if they agreed. I hope it was a lot to sell your soul to the Devil.
I would like to know what he promised if they disagreed. More yellow vests riots, Russians murdered on German soil?
This was a meeting of allies. What they all have in common is a hatred of Britain, hatred of the US and of course a hatred of Ukraine. Micron (pun intended) has never disguised it. Merkel is similarly open. The corpulent quisling was once allowed to address the British House of Parliament. She didn’t even bother to disguise her utter contempt. Yet there are still masochists in Britain who still want to be ruled by these pieces of garbage.
Dmytro Kuleba must start lobbying hard for this nonsense to stop. Only the Budapest signatories can take the actions necessary to bring this squalid, poisonous little toad to order.
The krauts are more than just as pathetic. They don’t mind getting flooded by Merkel’s worthless pack of third-world parasites and paying the price for them, monetary and socially. They also enjoy getting financially raped by her and her regime. I doubt that the Brits are nearly as stupid as the krauts.
Your hope for the Brits is likely misplaced.
Unfortunately putler’s warmongering has hit the mainstream media. This is the biggest English language news site in the world; the DM. Note that the pricks refer to ‘disputed region’, not ‘occupied territory’. :-
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9429909/Russia-sends-4-000-troops-Ukraine-border-warns-conflict-Donbass-destroy-it.html