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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, use of force, Vladimir Putin January 23, 2015

Negotiating with terrorists: Merkel’s proposal for a broad economic zone with Russia and its friends

See “Ukraine-Krise: Bundesregierung lockt Russland mit Handelszone; Zur Belohnung gäbe es eine Wirtschaftskooperation: Die Bundesregierung hat laut Medienbericht dem russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin eine Handelszone…

Crimea, human rights, International Law, OSCE, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, war crimes January 13, 2015

Fighting in eastern Ukraine intensifies, as implementation of Minsk Protocol stalls; future of EU sanctions regime in doubt

Revised January 14, 2014 See Frontline, “Putin’s Way”, PBS, January 13, 2015 (on Putin’s rise to power and the nature of the Russian dictatorship he…

Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, OSCE, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes January 9, 2015

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier convenes four-party talks in Berlin on Minsk Protocol, as Russia intensifies invasion of the Donbas

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier plans to meet with the foreign ministers of Russia, France and Ukraine in Berlin on Monday to see if progress…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, European Union, foreign correspondents, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes September 20, 2014

Obama in Control: No lethal aid for Ukraine, no combat troops in Iraq no matter what, and lethal aid for “moderates” in Syria

Friday night fatigue can affect one’s musings on world affairs. Much of the fatigue this week comes from the news. The Russian-Ukrainian War Russia is…

Barack Obama, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, syria, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes September 17, 2014

Poroshenko’s capitulation: The new “special status” law and implementation of the Minsk Protocol

UPDATE: The text in Ukrainian of the new law on “special status” is found here. A very rough translation into English is found in Nikolai…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Iraq, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes September 14, 2014

The Russia-Ukraine War: Putin, cunning judo master, versus Obama, NATO, and EU, conflicted and confused; Protagonists continue battle for Ukraine and vision of world order

Developing Russian President Vladimir Putin, a cunning and brilliant tactician who has now taken on the entire international legal and political order through his invasions…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 13, 2014

Putin’s response to new sanctions: (1) New invasion of Donbas with white truck convoy, entering without authorization or inspection; and (2) Renewed fighting (artillery and rockets) in Donetsk

Putin Escalates Crisis in Response to New Sanctions Russian President Vladimir Putin has reacted true to form, in response to the entry into force of…

Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S Foreign Relations, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 12, 2014

Full text of new EU sanctions against Russia (September 8, 2014)

Developing See “New EU sanctions hit Russia,” EU Business, 12 September 2014 (11:10 CET). The full text of the new EU sanctions against Russia because…

Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, State Department, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force September 10, 2014

TWO VASTLY DIFFERENT OUTCOMES — Conditions for lifting the new EU sanctions (once in force): (1) Ceasefire holds; or (2) All steps in Minsk Protocol on ceasefire and peace process completed

Much has been at stake in the battle within the EU over whether the new sanctions against Russia (agreed on September 5) should now enter…

Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Justice Department, Russia, sanctions, syria, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 10, 2014

Putin succeeds in breaking EU decision making machinery — Now, no EU decision by top leaders will be final

You have to hand it to Finland, and the pacifist and appeasers among the leaders of EU member states. To placate Vladimir Putin, they have…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 9, 2014

Putin wins again? UE sanctions decision of September 5 appears to fall apart; Future of Minsk Protocol peace process in doubt

See Editorial, “Making Mr. Putin feel the heat of sanctions,” Washington Post, September 9, 2014 (8:07 p.m. ET). The Achievement Represented by the Signing…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, syria, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 9, 2014

Inside Putin’s Brain—Part III: The Principle of “I make believe, you make believe”, the EU’s New Sanctions, and the Minsk Protocol — with Putin’s (imagined) annotations on full text (in English)

In warfare, as in diplomacy, it is important to try to put yourself in the shoes of your adversary, to try to understand what is…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Justice Department, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 8, 2014

Finland blocks entry into force of EU sanctions, gravely threatening prospects for peace in Ukraine

UPDATE (September 10, 2014) “Trotz Beschluss gegen Russland: EU drückt sich vor Sanktionen; Die Europäische Union zögert die angekündigten Strafmaßnahmen gegen Russland im Ukraine-Konflikt weiter…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 8, 2014

Pacifists and appeasers in EU delay entry into force of new sanctions, undermining hard actions which produced Minsk ceasefire and peace process agreement

Latest News and Opinion See (1) “Sanktionen in der Ukraine-Krise: EU lässt Moskau noch einige Tage,” Der Spiegel, 8. September 2014 (2153 Uhr). Sie sind…

Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force September 7, 2014

Full text of Minsk Protocol on Ceasefire in Ukraine (September 5, 2014)

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has now published the full text of the Protocol for a ceasefire in the Ukraine. See…

Barack Obama, Deutschland, European Union, Germany, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 5, 2014

Terms of Minsk ceasefire agreement described; NATO decisions and new U.S. and EU sactions—if not sidelined at last moment—suggest toughening stance toward Putin

Developing Neil MacFarquhar of the New York times has provided an excellent summary of the terms of the ceasefire agreement reached in Minsk today, in…

U.S Foreign Relations September 5, 2014

Putin reportedly snatches Estonian official from Estonian territory, continues blatant lies about Russian troops in Ukraine

As the ceasefire agreed at Minsk seems to go into effect in the eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently ordered the kidnapping of…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 5, 2014

Barack Obama’s phantasmagoric world, where the choice of words defines reality

phantasmagoria /ˌfæntæzməˈɡɔːrɪə/, phantasmagory /fænˈtæzməɡərɪ/ n 1. a shifting medley of real or imagined figures, as in a dream 2. a sequence of pictures made to…

Deutschland, France, Germany, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 4, 2014

The EU and NATO falter in stopping Putin; Strategy and action to contain an existential threat are urgently required

Draft — Check back for updates Latst News and Opinion See (1) Julia Smirnova, “Putin will plötzlich Frieden in der Ukraine; Kremlchef gibt vor, den…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, Germany, human rights, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 3, 2014

Inside Putin’s Brain: Musings on the Ukraine and what is going on inside his head — Part II

For analysis of Putin’s 7-point ceasefire proposal, EU sanctions decisions, and NATO decisions to be taken in the next few days, see “Putin seeks to…

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The Trenchant Observer

International Law, Politics, and Security