Negotiations and lobbies: Merkel visits Obama
US president spoke of the “extraordinary” Russia’s military power, extent of Russia’s border with Ukraine and even mentioned Russian history. Propaganda myth of a massive Russian intervention in Ukraine is now used against its authors at full steam: you can not do something in Ukraine without taking into account the reaction of the Kremlin. Therefore, the U.S. administration will do nothing there - and that’s exactly what Merkel wants. I do not mean that Russia did not intervene; the whole myth was based on hiding the American control of Ukraine and silencing the fact that Russia never took initiative but only ever reacted, and rather sluggishly at that.
Now the Ukrainian issue will be resolved (or not resolved) through diplomacy, and the White House even invented a variant solution: heads of Donetsk and Lugansk will be elected in accordance with the Ukrainian (what’s the difference, why not Chinese?) constitution - and Kiev would be forced to stop the fight and carry on with the negotiations. Obama “has not yet decided” about weapons shipments to Ukraine - and “will not decide” before the election of the new president. In fact everything will be solved by Putin, whom Merkel persuaded in the Kremlin. He, however, did not put up a fight: if America will mind their own business, and if it you are so good to ask, then so be it.
Angela Merkel looked completely different than during previous visits. If before she felt a bit alien to this celebration of life, and a bit awkward compared to the elegant Michelle Obama, not to mention the women of French presidents, by now she has acquired the character stiffness of the “Iron Lady” Thatcher, perhaps a tad more clear and discreet.
Obama talked about the usual: climate and all the good against the bad things, but in the end he even began to recover. It must have cost him a lot of effort, but he managed. In reality, the talks centered around two issues. Only one of them was on the official agenda, and journalists (unsuccessfully) tried to clarify the details.
The first item really concerned Ukraine. Angela Merkel has brought to the attention of her American counterpart the “Ukrainian dossier” prepared by BND and explained: Germany did not intervene in the American game in Iraq, Libya and Syria; nobody cares about Ukraine either, but it is the backyard of Germany, and the United States will be forced to stop the attempts to kindle a fire there. No weapons, no military solution, only diplomatic talks, taking into account the position of Russia. More precisely, under the dictates of Russia.
At first, Obama did not like it. During the last visit of Merkel he escaped by ranting that as US president he cares primarily for American interests. But then the dossier was not on the table. Now Merkel gently and calmly explained that if the colleague will try again to play these games, then by the time she finishes him off, nobody will ever want to talk with Obama. Not even after his retirement. It was not openly mentioned but clearly assumed that she would not even have to do it herself. After all, the files can accidentally get to Putin, and God knows how he will dispose of them.
Barack Obama weighed “for” and “against”. The Ukrainian weapons business was firmly promised to the donors who believe that the relevant profits are already in their pockets. If they are refused now, the president will be thrown to John McCain and his pack for humiliation and embarrassment. Only it will be just empty words: Vanguard is able to topple the president, but only by going down to the bottom itself. And these guys are quite comfortable on the surface.
Disobeying Merkel is much more dangerous - she was not joking and looks ready to sink Vanguard together with the president. After such a scandal no one would dream running for a president without a certificate of racial purity for the next half-century - and his own left-wing Democrats would accuse Obama of this as well. After the impeachment, or even if he held out until the election, the way to Vanguard’s stables would be closed; except perhaps if he agreed to live out the rest of his days in the image of Uncle Tom.
Obama came to the conclusion that the attacks from the extreme right flank he could somehow survive if he demonstrated a wise and prudent policy. Well, so he would have to abandon the role of the “Dirty Harry”. It was a really cool image but essentially the loss is small. The second question was not public, and therefore in some sense easier.
The second dossier concerned one of the largest financial conglomerates of the world: the HSBC bank. According to the Forbes ranking that is almost four year old the HSBC Holdings plc. is the largest company by market capitalization in Europe and second in the world. Angela Merkel provided document after document demonstrating with hard facts the cooperation of the Bank with Islamic State, its joint operations with international terrorists “Syrian opposition” and not only, and so on - and she finished with the statement that it’s not her business really. But HSBC conducted subversive activities against the German economy and it shall go bankrupt.
Obama thought again. The Bank is not in his jurisdiction, it’s British, and on the island the other side of the pond there are those who will object. On the other hand, HSBC is controlled by Vanguard through Fidelity, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan and others, so some cover may be forthcoming. Well, what the hell, we have to die only once. Attack together, they are allies after all. He gradually came to himself by the end of the press conference.
The atmosphere has darkened. One of international bankers from Germany wrote the following: “Let’s hope that Ms. Merkel will return this side of the pond Monday alive and healthy. When you hear Biden, McCain and General Breedlove, you understand that the nerves are laid bare». (Hoffen wir, dass Frau Merkel lebend und gesund am Montag über den Teich zurückkommt. Wenn man Biden, McCain und General Breedlove hört, merkt man, dass die Nerven blank liegen).
So far, they only had enough courage to publish pictures from twenty-two years ago, where Angela Merkel is trying to get a few skinheads back on the right path - of course, in the reverse interpretation. So as to say, look with whom this lady consorts. Only this futile attempt has not made any impression on the Germans.
Cards were dealt in a new way. In the US, the donor parties are now opposed to the president. Politically against him - McCain, who lost his election to him and will clock 80 by the next election, and his own Vice President Joe Biden, Kerry in State Department, and Brennan in the CIA. But somehow Obama will get out. Vanguard has been a little weakened these days, and some boys begin to run away.
And not only in the United States. The son in law of the main Ukrainian negotiator also understood the lack of options. What difference does it make if they freeze your accounts on the filing of the FBI or of the Bundeskriminalamt? Other boys are not born yesterday either, at least when it comes to their pockets. Turchinov, Yatsenyuk and Ljashko remained in the U.S. opposition although they did not sign up. Well, they were not asked. Kolomoisky plays his game, Akhmetov and Firtash - their own, but all at the same table. Poroshenko also would like to play, preferably on the side of Merkel, but he still did not get the cards.
Most of the American mercenaries have left Ukraine already and their return is associated now with complications with Europe and with the administration. Without the Americans Ukraine will not be able to fight. So one can expect continuation of hysteria, confusion and hesitation in the War Party now.
Interesting is what the party of peace looks like. Putin, Merkel, Hollande and Obama joined there. People may wonder why is the mantra of sanctions against Russia so often repeated then? Well, what else do they have to speak of in public? Of the complete and unconditional surrender of the United States? That they will get from the likes of McCain anyhow.
Putin is quite happy with sanctions too - now as a gambit in exchange for a “Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok.” That is, unrestricted access to advanced technologies and to the world’s richest European market. When Putin will finally squeeze the Americans and their Ukrainian henchmen at the request of Merkel, they would have to talk about “forcing Russia to peace.” As the famous joke goes: “so why don’t you talk about that too?”
Loose translation of: http://pravosudija.net/article/peregovory-i-kuluary
Оригинал: https://tigr.net/3955/2015/02/10/negotiations-and-lobbies-merkel-visits-obama/