Of Paul Craig Roberts

Source: Comedonchisciotte
I have already had the opportunity to explain that attitude, typically Christian, of Russian President Vladimir Putin to turn the other cheek to Western provocations is a strategy intended to convince Europe that Russia is reasonable while Washington is not, and that Russia is not a threat to the interests and sovereignty of Europe, while Washington is. Appeasing Israel and withdrawing from the Iranian multinational nuclear non-proliferation agreement, American President Donald Trump may have contributed to the success of Putin's strategy.
The three largest European vassal states of Washington, Great Britain, France and Germany opposed Trump's unilateral action. Trump believes that the multinational treaty depends only on Washington. If Washington were to renounce the agreement, this would represent the end of the agreement itself. The will of the other signatories does not matter. Consequentially, Trump wants to reintroduce pre-existing sanctions on trade with Iran and impose additional ones, new sanctions. If Great Britain, France and Germany continued to honor the commercial contracts stipulated with Iran, then Washington would also sanction its own vassal states and ban English companies, French and German to operate in the United States. Washington obviously believes that the profits that Europeans have in the United States exceed those that can be obtained in Iran and thinks that [the Europeans] they will adapt to Washington's decisions, as well as, from vassal states, they have already done so in the past.
And it could well be so. But this time there is a negative reaction. If strong words lead to a rupture with Washington, everything is yet to be seen. Trump's National Security Advisor, the neoconservative, pro-Israeli John Bolton has ordered European companies to cancel their trade deals with Iran. The American ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell ordered German companies to immediately stop their activities in Iran. The arrogance towards Europe and the evident contempt of the United States for European interests have suddenly made the old and consolidated vassalage of Europe all too evident and uncomfortable.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, until now a loyal puppet of the United States, he said Europe can no longer trust Washington and must “taking destiny into one's own hands”.
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Junker said that Washington's leadership has failed and that it is time for the EU to take the lead and "replace the United States”. Several French government ministers, Germans and English expressed themselves in the same way.
On the cover of the German magazine Der Spiegel, entitled "Goodbye Europa”, there is Trump who shows the middle finger all’Europa. The magazine states that “The time has come for Europe to join the Resistance”.
Although European politicians were well rewarded for their submission, they may now find it a petty and unbearable burden.
Although I understand the importance of Putin's refusal to react to provocations with more provocations, I also expressed concern that, accepting them without reacting would encourage further attacks, that would increase in intensity until war or Russian surrender would remain the only options; vice versa, if the Russian government took a more aggressive attitude towards provocations, would send the risk and cost of the same back to the sender, to the Europeans who, with their acquiescence in Washington, they made them possible. Now it appears that Trump himself has taught this lesson to the Europeans.
Russia has spent several years helping the Syrian army cleanse Syria of terrorists sent by Washington to overthrow the Syrian government. But, despite the Russian-Syrian alliance, Israel continues its illegal military attacks against Syria. These attacks could be stopped if Russia supplied Syria with S-300 air defense systems.
Israel and the United States do not want Russia to sell S-300s to Syria because Israel wants to continue attacking Syria and the United States wants Syria to continue being attacked. Otherwise, Washington would have forced Israel to give up.
Several years ago, before Washington sent its Islamic mercenaries to attack Syria, Russia had agreed to sell Syria an advanced anti-aircraft defense system but, due to American and Israeli pressure, he had given up and had not handed it over. Ora, for the second time, immediately after Netanyahu's visit to Moscow, we hear Vladimir Kozhin say, Putin's assistant, that Russia will continue to deny Syria modern air defense systems.
Perhaps Putin believes he has to do this so as not to give Washington an opportunity that could be used to bring Europe back into line with the aggressive policy of the United States. In any case, for those who don't see it that way, all of this again makes Russia look weak and reluctant to defend an ally.
If Putin believes he has some influence on Netanyahu, in the sense of convincing him to stipulate peace agreements with Syria or Iran, then the Russian government understood nothing of the intentions of Israel or the 17 years of Washington's wars in the Middle East.
I hope Putin's strategy works. If it doesn't, it will have to change its way of reacting to provocations or they will lead us to war.
Source: https://www.paulcraigroberts.org
Link: https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/05/14/putins-strategy-finally-beginning-work/
Selected and Translated by Markus for www.comedonchisciotte.org