A Mediterranean Battlefield - Syria

[Lauren Johnson]

::laughingdog::

So Putin helped out Obama with the neo-cons who wanted regime change at all cost. He helped himself of course too as they need Syria a stable Syria without more lunatics running around like Libya. Love watching the factionalism in the US elite.

It gets much, much funnier. Get this. The just a few days after starts his pull out of Syria, Federica Mogherini of the EU Foreign Affairs Council announces "five guiding principles" for dealing with Russia in the future. Here they are:

The first of these guiding principles is the full implementation of the Minsk agreements as a key element for any substantial change in our relations. By the way, this is an important week, it is the week where two years ago the illegal annexation of Crimea took place and we re-stated our common strong position of non-recognition of the annexation of Crimea.

The second principle is strengthening relations with our Eastern Partners and other neighbours, in particular in Central Asia, and we had very good discussions on how to proceed in this respect.

Third, strengthening internal European Union resilience, in particular in view of energy security, hybrid threats and strategic communication, but not only.

Fourth principle we all agreed on is the need for selective engagement with Russia, both on foreign policy issues - this is clear, when it comes to Iran or the Middle East Peace Process or Syria, but also DPRK, migration or counter-terrorism, climate change - but also in other areas where there is a clear European Union's interest.

The fifth of our guiding principles is the willingness to support more and more the Russian civil society and engage and invest in people-to-people contacts and exchanges and policies that are related to that, with a particular view to the youth of Russia and the youth of the European Union because we see the future of our countries as something we need to invest into.

In other words, after engaging in a complex diplomatic engagement with consultations with the US, the EU, gulf state countries, Russia takes on the job of cleaning up the problem that was so "worrying" to the rest of the "civilized" world and then quickly reduces its role, is then warned that it better start changing or else.

The laundry list of things the RF must do before sanctions will be lifted not to mention the sanctions yet to be imposed in the future is endless. It could totally abandon the Donbass, turn over Crimea to Ukraine, release Nadiya Savchenko, and there would be still be future conditions imposed until Russia is ruled by a Western approved technocrat.

But Putin's go 'em right where he wants 'em as he continues to confound them with his Black Belt Eleven Dimensional Chess Zen Master skills. (The Saker has finally admitted what he has denied -- he's a Putin Fan Boy.)

I might very well be way off on Putin, and I will be happy to eat crow. He has warned that he will be ready to move back into Syria in strength. That would impress me. Another thing is if he tells NATO to fuck off and annex Donbass. That would mean telling the West Russia will go her own way, which would also mean nationalizing the RCB. But then Russia would have to lose the billions it has purchased and still is purchasing in US Treasuries.

Won't happen.