This isn't the case, Merkel is fully devoted to implementing Washington's war agenda against Russia. Germany is the real US trojan horse in Europe, not little and irrelevant Britain, and the country through which the Transatlantic policies are filtered and imposed on Europe. It helps a lot that Germany detached itself in the past from the military adventures of the US, unlike France and Britain, and always kept a a low profile when it came to war rhetoric to cover for its role as the main enabler and facilitator of the US agenda in Europe. BTW this isn't what Merkel said about Putin, only another example of the NYT being the official outlet of Washington's war agenda, assigned with the responsibility to twist facts and fabricate evidence to sell wars and regime change.

Not even close! Germany is far from a trojan horse. Germany is one of the few actors who are at least trying to act rationally. I suspect that the US has some very compromising stuff on Merkel and/or her government because what is abundantly clear is that she is openly working against not only her own interests but those of Germany.

And despite that, she's still trying to negotiate a diplomatic solution because first and foremost is that if the tit for tat sanctions continues or open warfare breaks out, Germany is the big loser. Even countries that are openly and irrationally (to a certain degree) hostile towards Russia (i.e. the Baltic states) are coming to their senses are realising that it's just madness to continue with the present policy. They all know that since Pinchuk arranged to conference at Yalta in September 2013, the west has been hell bent on pushing this change in Ukraine even though Russia warned them of the consequences and recommended that Ukraine serve as a bridge between the east and west so that it could gradually be brought up to western standards rather than abruptly turning its back on Russia and embrace the west since at least 3/4 of the population in Crimea is ethnic Russia as well as large percentages of the population in East Ukraine, the west did what it always does, the stupid thing. And to further add fuel on the fire, they back neo nazis groups (i.e. Svoboda and Right Sector) as the key element for change!?!

Contrary to western belief, Putin didn't need to do anything in Ukraine. With Tymoshenko's party as well as Svoboda and Right Sector openly pushing for elimination of all minority rights in Ukraine, the Crimeans did the rational thing. And given that they had only been "given" to Ukraine in 1954 by Kruschev in order to screw the west based on the original Yalta agreement, the Crimeans were more than happy to return to the fold of mother Russia. The same goes for eastern Ukraine. In fact, you will find even ethnic Ukrainians fighting against the Kiev because they know that at its core, the people in power are just mobsters looking to rob eastern Ukraine of most of it's wealth either from mining of coal or from the fairy tale that is shale gas extraction. Finally given that Russia has basically written off Ukraine and is no longer supporting it, you can forget about Ukraine. Consider that a country twice the size of East Germany needs to be brought up to western standards in order to benefit in any realistically way from the EU association agreement. Bringing East Germany up to western standards cost €20 billion per year for 20 years! Pray tell, which insolvent western country is going to finance that when they cannot even pay their own bills???

What nonsense. As I wrote elsewhere going against one's own national interests is one of the prerequisites in order to be an "ally" of the US. Germany is still an occupied country by the US. It has no sovereignty. It is occupied politically, economically, strategically and intellectually by the Altanticist-US block. Germany, far from seeking a diplomatic solution, was the chief instigator of the Maidan uprising and the country that initiated EU sanctions against Russia even if they are against European interests because as Merkel put it "we need to show that we are serious about Russia". She is willing to sacrifice the well-being of German citizens to serve US strategic interests. Merkel raped the nation of Greece in order to introduce the IMF which is a tool of US financial occupation, further cementing US control over the European economy. Germany never negotiated in good faith with Russia or independently from the US. It was merely acting as a messenger of Washington's arrogant demands towards Russia. She does all this willingly and not because the US has "compromising stuff" since Merkel is not the "leader" of Germany. She is merely the appointed regional overseer of the US empire, like the provincial governors of Roman times, assigned with the task to adjust the US imperatives and dictates to the European political and economic reality.

Merkel is a puppet of American interests. Germany is an occupied country, and has been since 1945. It is occupied militarily and the pivot of American imperialism in Europe. It is occupied culturally and ideologically. The German elites fully subscribe to the verdict of the Nuremburg SHOW-TRIALS, meaning to the concocted lies of the victors. In a collective sense they suffer from a version of the Stockholm Syndrome and love the abusers of their own people. The mere fact that the official line in Germany is that she was "liberated" in 1945 reveals the abjection of these elites. Read HELLSTORM. THE DEATH OF NAZI GERMANY by Thomas Goodrich and see what this "liberation' looked like---millions murdered, starved to death, expelled from their home provinces, rang-rapes and tortures the entertainment of the day and of the night. Thank you America!

Well stated! The founding families of Federal Reserve of America are the ones that finance Hilter in his campaign. http://www.usagold.com/fede... These are the people that is behind this conflict. They owns the medias, banks and controls nations. They tried to control Putin, but got kick out of Russia, this time round is for Revenge.

Russia has always been an aggressor nation. Take a look at their history. Never has the leadership really cared about their citizens. The people of Russia have learned how to live in a world where they do not matter. This is a nation of people that cannot perform any "critical thinking". As mentioned earlier Stalin murdered millions and the people did nothing. I cannot think of another country where its citizens just stood back to watch as they are abused.

Putin cannot believe that Ukrainians want a different life. He is shocked that people will refuse to submit to the leadership. Putin is after worship just as Hitler.

What Russia needs to understand or better yet to accept is, why no one wants to be part of a Russian world? Why are no countries running to embrace this man and country?

Russia is to blame 100% for this problem. Stop giving Putin a way out of his failure. No one put a gun to his head, Russia speaking people in other countries are not being attacked or anything else. Putin like Hitler will use anything to advance his agenda, to build his empire and become Tsar.

Russia has no reason to do what they are doing other than Putin's ego.

Everyone listen to this guy. America started WW II not Germany. The Americans were responsible for the nazi death camps, and forced Germany to invade Western Europe and Russia so they could reap the economic rewards of the war and reconstruction!!!

I understand you are satirizing the piece but there is some credence that the treaty in Versailles put war guilt on Germany and imposed such fierce reparation expectation on the country that England and France can be said to have laid the ground work for bitterness in Germany which Hitler then used to build up nationalistic pride in Germany.

The treaty was very very wrong but war creates bitterness as the likes of Hitler and his evil killers actions have proved. You will note it was not the UK or the west in general that invaded country after country in such a vicious manner. I can't see how you could call or consider all that was done by Germans "national pride"

For Germany it was not so much an emotional motivation like "bitterness" but the reality that the country's economy collapsed with the weight of reparations. That's much more "real" in world affairs than some vague emotions. Germans were bringing barrels full of their worthless money to buy a loaf of bread at one point. It was this economic collapse that allowed a man with a plan like Hitler to come to power. That and political mistakes on the part of other German leaders. Incidentally, ill-thought-out, outrageously heavy and inappropriate reparation demands after one nation was defeated at war have almost always led to future wars as the defeated party got strong enough to take revenge (or try to). The moral of that tale is that the punishment should match the crime and it should be manageable by the losing party.

It doesn't pay to crush people unless you simply obliterate them all. Sooner or later, they'll come back at you. Putin doesn't seem to get that. But then none of Russia's autocrats ever has. Ukrainians have bounced back from any number of attempts by Russia to crush and obliterate them.

Have never heard more stupid bullshit .
What does Putin have to do with "obliterated " Ukraine ? And when has it happened that " Ukrainians have bounced back......
Russia to crush and obliterate... them".
WHOM "them" ? Ukrainian economy and industry has always
been entwined with Russia. Same were, and still are, people and families.
So what's the purpouse of your stupid claim ?
Do you know anything about this genoside of russian people by nazi Kiev ?
Chronicle of Genocide
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

LOL, brilliant satire!

I've never heard such drivel from the last three comments in my life. It's no wonder Russia is like it is with such arrogant, uniformed, despicable untrue propaganda words coming from such people. They certainly have no reasoning for such disrespectful words for any or all foreign nations. Surely they are referring to a Russia that has no respect for anything, anyone or any nation.

And the USA has a lot of respect? ->

http://thainews.prd.go.th/c...

They just control their press and vasal states better then Russia does so it seems...

Whataboutism... Troll alert!

Rubbish after rubbish is all you cay write. BTW I'm not an American but if I were I would be proud to be so. Russian arrogance and vile leaders are is all that comes out of Russia.

Everything started with a fib that Russia is a Europe, or worlds, saviour in WWII. When the world realize that that nation is mainly prone to resolve its own interests,and noones else, will be a progress. We speak about people, in big majority, that venerate the most ridiculous political caracters in human history. Soviet Union has never suffered domestic upheaval. About 30 milion were killed and they never stood against. That "country" stopped to exist due the economical problems not because russians wanted to. Other, todays free countries like baltic or kaukaz states made the initiative and all Eastern Europe (but Yugoslavia that never made a part ) is very thankfull for breaking that perverse coalition. Mr. Putin is doing what his people is eager to see.

In Russia no sane people accept this view. The correspondent to whom you reply surely has nothing to do with Russia, or may be purposefully provoking such reaction.

Russia will defend its country..then drive you out...Chase back to your country..be carefull what you wish for yanks

The sheer amount of completely normalized violence and murder in Russia is shocking.

Ultra-nationalists street gangs employed by the Kremlin;
Church organized bashing and murder of "sexual deviants"; Routine "hazing" torture and beatings of conscripts in the Army;
Routine assassinations of political opponents;
All the myriad of systemic and structural form of violence written in daily life.
Biggest organized crime Mafias in the world.
Alcoholic Cossacks used as "police".

Corruption and bribery as completely normal facts of daily life.

Shangai, you mostly elicit pity from the Western World.

What you describe is NAZI UKRAINE!

Total and utter rubbish.

He's a complete nutter, but then so is the author of the original article, who seems to believe that the US is in thrall to the Jews and zionists (he has written elsewhere on this subject).

You think the US isn't controlled by zionist gangsters?

Oh boy.

stupid and ridiculous assumptions!

Yes Lucy, from stupid and ridiculous people if you can call them that, they talk more like morons than anything else.

Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon said to Shimon Peres, on October 3, 2001, as reported by Kol Yisrael radio:
“Every
time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that .
. . I want to tell you something very clear: Don’t worry about American
pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the
Americans know it.”
It's true because the Federal Reserve Bank,
Wall Street's too big to fail banks, Hollywood, the Media, the US
Congress, Pentagon, etc are all controlled by the Zionists.
http://www.sweetliberty.org...

O, yeah - another Muslim antisemitic. You see Zionists everywhere, even controlling the greatest power in the world. Actually, according the article above, Israel has a right to prevent their interests and attack all her dangerous neighbors, which do not let the people to live peacefully. And as we all know, the gangsters and terrorists are Arabs, not Jewish.

Well, someone is pulling Obama and Merkel's strings...

they are but you lazy ass yanks are too good to figure that . Stupid dimwits

Has anyone seen "into the woods"? We're playing the blame game like they did, all these actions by different people in different parts of the world culminated in something no one wanted. All that's done is over and done, and can't be changed. The biggest question now is who will step up and stop reacting to perceived wrong, but rather start being proactive to the solving of problems. Retribution is necessary at times but only gets you so far. You say something not nice to a kid because he might have looked at you funny, he might push you. You don't like being pushed, so you push back. That makes him angrier so he takes a swing. This doesn't end because you both have friends, and they'll help. Pretty soon kids are going to the hospital, and everyone thinks they are justified. Let's face the fact that both parties were wrong, the true cause cannot be clearly established, and get on with life

Duh, they are

You can't anymore cynical than than that. Would you like to prove that?

What??? Do you know the meaning of nazi? It is National Socialism. You can even check out its program in the 30's. You should study a little bit more its elemental background. Also try to interview people who lived in Germany that time (as I did) and try to note the difference between both Germanys before and after the wall fall. Despite of the interests of NATO (always business not ideology and in fact this is controversial I have to agree), Putin is a genocidal like his predecessors. Do you support people like them???

How many conflicts has Putin started and how many people died as a result in last 14 years? Now compare this to how many conflicts we started and how many people died.

Marry me)

Please read your history about how many people were killed in Chechnya, Georgia and the other ex Soviet States that have been part separated by Putin. I believe in Chechnya 20% of the population were slaughtered.

Don't be an idiot. Chechnya is very much like Afghanistan. The problems started there in the early 1990's and most of the then uprising was funded by that good mate of the USA "Saudi Arabia". Yeltsen probbaly did the wrong thing by using too much force. About 19,000 bombing sorties flown against the estimated 20,000/25,000 "Separatists" Sunni Terrorists. Whatever you want to call them. You know the type the USA loves to support if it suits there purpose. Something like the Taliban that the USA recruited and supported and armed into power in Afghanistan. The Russians pulled out of Chechnya 1996. They virtually had independence. Should have been no problem. They had there own Government and to all intents and purposes were independent. With about as much oil as Kuwait they should have prospered. As usual the Saudis were not there to finance the re-starting of the Oil Industry and no Western Oil Company was willing to invest money there with basically a Terrorist Government in control. In the end all Chechnya was starving. Many fled to Russian southern cities to try and beg or steal food. For instance in about 2000 in Sochi a small city of about 250,000 there were an estimated 70,000 mainly male Chechen refugees and about 20,000 mainly male Georgian economic refugees. The crime rate went up about 30 times: Robbery, Sexual assault, murder etc. Yeltsen did nothing in reality. When Putin came to power he said there was only one thing to do. Go back into Chechnya. He being far more reasoned though went in with Special Forces and Helicopters and a few ground attack aircraft. Not bombers. Not US style. Only fight the small percentage of Terrorists who wanted to fight. Gave those who did not want to fight safe places to live and be fed and educated and housed.
A long war that they are only just getting on top of in recent years. Something the US can never seem do. The oil fields are working again and people have jobs and are not starving. Pensions are paid etc.
You my friend unfortunately believe all the biased crap in US and British media. Overall all propaganda and crap. You will say they are not Terrorists. Then how come two of them carried out the Boston Bombings. Open your eyes. Just like all the Rebels in Libya and Syria were good guys according to US and British propaganda for about 5 years. Then how come ISIL came into existence and had a tremendous amount of US and British and Saudi and Qatar supplied arms when they started to take over Iraq. There they got more. Another bright move again by the USA. Millions displaced and hurt by the fact overall they simply wanted to get rid of Assad. It did not matter that with his people overall he had 70% support. The US wanted him out because he refuses to be a tame dog and agree with the USA on everything. Is ISIL better? That is how stupid and short sighted the USA has been ever since the first round in Afghanistan. While they have the USA Terrorists don't need to worry about arms. Just tell the USA you are good guys and you love them and they and some of there allies will give you all you need. Especially if the person or country they want to undermine or take over does not agree with all things USA.
Georgia - South Ossetia and Abkhazia were never part of Georgia until Stalin [a Georgian] forced them to become part of Georgia. Different culture also. So you think everything Stalin did was OK by what you say above in your simplistic statement. In the early 1990's the people of South Ossetia rebelled at being part of Georgia. North Ossetia went with the Russian Federation. The South was left with Georgia more or less to please the Georgians.There was civil war. Russia in the main settled it down and EU observers were there to monitor the peace. There were Georgian and Russian peacekeepers there also. Russia was happy to let it settle until the USA as usual wanting to extend its area of influence went in and rebuilt the Georgian armed forces and trained them etc. It was that US sponsored and supported idiot in Ukraine who attacked. A premeditated attack the US advisers there must have known was being organized. US media and US Politicians still lie about that. Every other civilized nation on earth and every other nation with an honest and not corrupted press now reports that. The EU Commission of inquiry said Georgia attacked. In Australia we got the truth in about 3 days when our own reporters got there. Not the lies we heard from the Bush Admin and US media for the first 3 days.
Same situation in Crimea. Always part of Russia until Kruschev [a Ukranian] forced it to become part of Ukraine. That's OK also I imagine if it suits your argument at the time. If Crimea had voted to join say Poland and was happy to let the US Navy operate out of the Russian base there I can hear you saying. "It never really was part of Ukraine anyhow". . Australian.

Rodney
Why do you spout crap and belittle other peoples opinions. The USA or the EU are no worse than Russia. Why did/does Russia put people in prison for political reasons? that does not happen in the free democratic world. Why does Russia allow criminals from other countries to reside in their country? I could state the ones I mean but I a sure you also know. Why does Russia support the Donbass area of Ukraine? (internal strife) why did Russia send attack helicopters into Crimea with soldiers in unidentified uniforms. Why was the supposed Crimean election not monitored by an international body. If you are not an idiot as you state me to be, do you know that it against the Geneva convention to enter another country under arms and unidentified. Whether you are from the West, East or Mars you need to respect other peoples views and knowledge. Let us see what Putin will do now as Russia's economy is in free fall. Finally you need to understand the difference between the words "there" and "their" to prove you are an intelligent person. Good Bye.

Why does the U.S. shoot minorities on the streets of its cities? Why does the U.S. invade Middle Eastern countries under false pretext? Why do surveys show the U.S. the most dangerous threat to world peace on the planet? Why does the U.S. maintain close relations with perfidious allies like Britain and Israel? Why does the U.S. support the most repressive regime on the planet, Saudi Arabia, by any measurement, while spouting this freedom and democracy BS?

1st question - to maintain law and order
2nd question - they are trying to be like Russia, don't forget the 18000 soldiers Russia took home in body bags from Afghanistan
3rd question - whose surveys were they? I will turn this question around - why are the Russian media controlled by the state???
4th question -because the first country is the birthplace of democracy and like America support democratic countries. My question here is why did the Palestine rebels use public areas from which to fire their rockets into Israel? just like the East Ukrainian terrorists have been doing in Donetsk and Luhansk. Why did Russia fire missiles from their territory into Ukraine? Why did Russia support Syria, Palestine and all the other countries who were waging terrorist wars? If I had to make a choice of where I wanted to live it would most certainly not be Russia. Cuba has put his fingers up to Putin and the little man is green with envy, yes green just like the terrorists who invaded Crimea (little green men), the world will not forget. The only thing in your post that I AGREE with is that the UK & USA should not have invaded Iraq the 2nd time around as they never found weapons of mass destruction (WMD)1st question - to maintain law and order
2nd question - they are trying to be like Russia, don't forget the 18000 soldiers Russia took home in body bags from Afghanistan
3rd question - whose surveys were they? I will turn this question around - why are the Russian media controlled by the state???
4th question -because the first country is the birthplace of democracy and like America support democratic countries. My question here is why did the Palestine rebels use public areas from which to fire their rockets into Israel? just like the East Ukrainian terrorists have been doing in Donetsk and Luhansk. Why did Russia fire missiles from their territory into Ukraine? Why did Russia support Syria, Palestine and all the other countries who were waging terrorist wars? If I had to make a choice of where I wanted to live it would most certainly not be Russia. Cuba has put his fingers up to Putin and the little man is green with envy, yes green just like the terrorists who invaded Crimea (little green men), the world will not forget. The only thing in your post that I AGREE with is that the UK & USA should not have invaded Iraq the 2nd time around as they never found weapons of mass destruction (WMD)1st question - to maintain law and order
2nd question - they are trying to be like Russia, don't forget the 18000 soldiers Russia took home in body bags from Afghanistan
3rd question - whose surveys were they? I will turn this question around - why are the Russian media controlled by the state???
4th question -because the first country is the birthplace of democracy and like America support democratic countries. My question here is why did the Palestine rebels use public areas from which to fire their rockets into Israel? just like the East Ukrainian terrorists have been doing in Donetsk and Luhansk. Why did Russia fire missiles from their territory into Ukraine? Why did Russia support Syria, Palestine and all the other countries who were waging terrorist wars? If I had to make a choice of where I wanted to live it would most certainly not be Russia. Cuba has put his fingers up to Putin and the little man is green with envy, yes green just like the terrorists who invaded Crimea (little green men), the world will not forget. The only thing in your post that I AGREE with is that the UK & USA should not have invaded Iraq the 2nd time around as they never found weapons of mass destruction (WMD)1st question - to maintain law and order
2nd question - they are trying to be like Russia, don't forget the 18000 soldiers Russia took home in body bags from Afghanistan
3rd question - whose surveys were they? I will turn this question around - why are the Russian media controlled by the state???
4th question -because the first country is the birthplace of democracy and like America support democratic countries. My question here is why did the Palestine rebels use public areas from which to fire their rockets into Israel? just like the East Ukrainian terrorists have been doing in Donetsk and Luhansk. Why did Russia fire missiles from their territory into Ukraine? Why did Russia support Syria, Palestine and all the other countries who were waging terrorist wars? If I had to make a choice of where I wanted to live it would most certainly not be Russia. Cuba has put his fingers up to Putin and the little man is green with envy, yes green just like the terrorists who invaded Crimea (little green men), the world will not forget. The only thing in your post that I AGREE with is that the UK & USA should not have invaded Iraq the 2nd time around as they never found weapons of mass destruction (WMD)

1st question - to maintain law and order
2nd question - they are trying to be like Russia, don't forget the 18000 soldiers Russia took home in body bags from Afghanistan
3rd question - whose surveys were they? I will turn this question around - why are the Russian media controlled by the state???
4th question -because the first country is the birthplace of democracy and like America support democratic countries. My question here is why did the Palestine rebels use public areas from which to fire their rockets into Israel? just like the East Ukrainian terrorists have been doing in Donetsk and Luhansk. Why did Russia fire missiles from their territory into Ukraine? Why did Russia support Syria, Palestine and all the other countries who were waging terrorist wars? If I had to make a choice of where I wanted to live it would most certainly not be Russia. Cuba has put his fingers up to Putin and the little man is green with envy, yes green just like the terrorists who invaded Crimea (little green men), the world will not forget. The only thing in your post that I AGREE with is that the UK & USA should not have invaded Iraq the 2nd time around as they never found weapons of mass destruction (WMD)

Thank you!

Great response, even if it is longer than the original article.

I'm not American Miamigirl but I see it that the US ended it not started it. Might be an idea if you did marry Artem or even Mr Wee. I can see every reason for what the US has done except for the billions of dollars they have given away to every Tom, Dick and Harry.

I believe you had you head screw somewhere else ! Yes, Russia before Putin was destructive. You have to study Putin only after he comes in power, 2000. Yes, he controls Russia with an Iron Fist. He has to as there were a lot of western WOLFS circling round Russia hoping for its destruction, so they can pick up the pieces, Putin saw this. Why you think he Nationalise all the critical infrastructures ? How many Banksters & Nobles did he arrest ?From 2000 onwards, Russia from a country on the brink of Bankrupt, he has brought it to a country with more than USD$2 Trillion Dollars surplus. Russia is the same as China, it needs time to grow and reform, but it must be controlled by an Iron Fist. It is like a teenage kid having his first taste of freedom.

Seems that there are few who know exactly how Russia survived after the fall of Communism. Just ask the U.S.of A.

You really are very uninformed.

Have you studied the Iraq war? It's the single greatest embarrassment in the last 100 years of world history - yet the American people don't even know what happened.

Most Americans don't know what's going on at all. Your government is lying to you and a few wealthy people/families are sucking your country dry.

NATO's pompous and futile destruction of Libya hasn't taught us anything either, obviously. The Ukraine has an unenviable future as a political football in a crowded field populated by historical imbeciles.