Again, from the UKTelegraph.com:
by Damien McElroy
Vladimir Putin has mocked diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine crisis as Russia threatened to disrupt European gas supplies by cutting off sales to Kiev over its unpaid debts.
The Russian president said through his official spokesman that, despite deep disagreements with the West, he did not want a confrontation over Ukraine to spiral into a “new cold war”.
Nevertheless Dmitry Peskov ridiculed Western demands for direct talks between the Kremlin and the new Kiev government, claiming that the loss of credibility involved “puts a smile on our face”.
Clearly, Mr Putin is enjoying the ride, as he watches the attempted coordinated response of western nations to the Ukraine/Crimean situation. And the response is, as of yet, no response at all.
Putin’s history is such that he would care to reassemble the former USSR and bring Russia back to its so-called “former glory.” For an individual whose higher educational thesis was on the politics of oil, and how to allow Russia to acquire even greater power due to its sitting on massive fields of gas and oil, his energy policy seems to follow the theme of holding nation states hostage for same. This appears to be perfectly in keeping with his past holdings, philosophy, training, education and experience.
Those who find themselves shocked over Mr Putin’s moves have no grasp of Russian history and simultaneously a belief in fairy dust and gremlins.
BZ
