Merkel and Putin: A grudging relationship

[webfact]

Merkel and Putin: A grudging relationship
By Damien McGuinness
BBC News, Berlin

BERLIN: -- On Monday German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host a summit in Berlin about the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

French President Francois Hollande and Ukraine leader Petro Poroshenko are due to attend, but not Russian President Vladimir Putin. So how is the relationship between Mrs Merkel and Mr Putin?

They are the leaders of two of the most powerful countries in the world, they both grew up in communist states and they both had their careers transformed by its collapse.

But that's where the similarity ends.

One leader is a submarine-faring, bare-chested action-man [read more...]

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34009581

-- BBC 2015-08-21

[Baerboxer]

Merkel speaks Russian and Putin speaks German. Not surprising she talks to him more than any other Western leader.

Wonder if Obama, Cameron and Hollande speak Russian?

[hard124get]

Merkel invited Putin to attend the the WC final with her. They chatted and laughed like old friends. The press condemned her and said she was looking for a job with Gazprom. She has had to pretend to disapprove of him ever since.

[istinspring]

Just noticed how "british bullshit corporation" tried hard to avoid uncomfortable facts.

924,300 people displaced to neighbouring countries

seriously? the numbers are lowered, and guess which "neighboring" country they fled. Refugees from the Ukraine come even to my home city located at the Far East (estimated as 400-700) just on opposite corner of Russia.

"We are the ones who will feel the impact of an all-out war irresponsible EU expansionism in Ukraine, not the Americans on the other side of the Atlantic," is a view you hear a lot here.

good to know that people realize it.

[MiKT]

Thank god Merkel is not a bare-chested action woman, the submariners would be put right of their torpedoes. Come to think of it maybe she could lead the Thai submarine-farers into port Pattaya.

[derator01]

A post violating forum rules has been removed from view.

9) You will not post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling. Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

[Scott]

A number of off-topic, troll posts and replies have been removed. The thread is clearly about Putin and Merkel and not about US foreign policy. Stay on topic.

[schlog]

Merkel is a treason puppet.

Putin is a leader and stands for a big part of his people.

No matter what language, they are totally contrary.