Putin hoped to get Merkel and Germany on his side in the Ukraine crisis. That hope is over

[stevenleser]

Merkel and Germany have had enough of Putin. What's startling is how significantly the relationship between Germany and Russia, Merkel and Putin has changed. When you read this article immediately below, its hard to imagine that just nine months ago they were enjoying friendly relations.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014946280

Nov 17 (Today) - Russia could seek to destabilise vast areas of eastern Europe if it is not challenged in Ukraine, Angela Merkel warned on Monday.

The strongly worded statement came as Ukraine's president warned of a resumption of "total war" in the strife-torn country's east.

In a speech to Sydney's Lowry Institute for International Policy Studies, the German Chancellor said Russia's annexation of Crimea and subsequent destabilisation of eastern Ukraine "called the whole of the European peaceful order into question".

"This isn't just about Ukraine," she said. "This is about Moldova, this is about Georgia, and if this continues then one will have to ask about Serbia and one will have to ask about the countries of the Western Balkans."

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/angela-merkel/11236622/Angela-Merkel-warns-Russia-could-seek-to-destabilise-whole-of-the-European-peaceful-order.html
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Note from two articles from severla months ago how the status of the relationship and Merkel's statements have changed since the beginning of the crisis. She was thought of as the "Chief Mediator", but Putin's behavior has put Merkel against him.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/07/us-merkel-putin-insight-idUSBREA260E120140307

March 7 - (Reuters) - After one of her first encounters with Vladimir Putin in 2002, Angela Merkel joked to aides that she had passed the "KGB test" by staring straight into his eyes without averting her gaze.

Unlike presidents in Washington - George W. Bush claimed to have gotten a glimpse of Putin's soul and Barack Obama promised to "reset" relations with Russia - the German chancellor has never harbored any illusions about the former Soviet agent, nor hopes that she might change him.

It is this hard-nosed realism, born of Merkel's own experience growing up in a Soviet garrison town in East Germany and reinforced over a turbulent 14-year relationship with Putin, that has earned her respect in the Kremlin and thrust her into the potentially risky role of chief mediator in the Ukraine crisis.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/angela-merkel/10803349/Ukraine-crisis-what-is-the-relationship-between-Angela-Merkel-and-Vladimir-Putin.html

May 2 - Teneo Intelligence's Carsten Nickel has discussed the relationship between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir in light of the Ukraine crisis.

He said that Germany has" "economic interests in maintain ties with Russia if you think of the energy challenge in Germany.

"It puts every German government...in a position where they will have to work towards mediation".