John Vinocur: Germany’s failure of nerve in Ukraine
Donetsk People's Republic Defence ministry spokesman Eduard Barusin addresses media on the renewed fighting in neighborhood of Jabunki near the airport in Donetsk, on April 13, 2015. OECD observers claimed they had recorded more than 1400 violations of the ceasefire agreement since yesterday afternoon. AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSEN
The limitations of relying on German leadership in crises other than Europe’s economy—such as the Obama administration’s handing-off to Berlin the job of dealing directly with Russia’s armed dismemberment of Ukraine—is getting sharp exposure. Berlin now clearly opposes the West using even implied threats of a military response to head off the potential of new Russian aggression.
