Merkel was known for maintaining diplomatic relations with Putin. During her tenure, Germany strengthened its energy ties with Moscow while keeping national defense spending to a bare minimum.

Her pressure on structural reform and austerity during the eurozone debt crisis, her determination to complete the contentious Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline with Russia, and her acceptance of jointly issued EU debt in anticipation of the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic were some examples of her leadership at the EU level.
However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shifted German politics dramatically.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel had been billed as the person Germans want to try to persuade President Vladimir Putin out of the conflict, until the final hours before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. However, as Russian bombs rained down on Ukrainian cities, a cloud has descended on Merkel’s 16 years in power, with some analysts questioning whether her detente policies with Putin have left Germany and Europe exposed.

After Russia’s first military operations in Ukraine in late February, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a halt to the Nord Stream 2 gas project that aims to deliver extra gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine and Poland.

Merkel’s major failure was not canceling those commercial ties and energy projects after Russia’s illegal invasion of Crimea in 2014, said Daniela Schwarzer, executive director of the Europe and Eurasia program spearheaded by Open Society Foundations.

Despite objections from Ukraine and other countries, including the United States, Merkel maintained her support for the gas project. Since taking office in December, Scholz has looked cautious in his approach to Nord Stream 2. As tensions with Russia escalated, he halted the pipeline’s certification.

Scholz’s recent willingness to transfer weapons to Ukraine and increase government defense spending marks a significant reversal in German defense policy post-World War II. The policy prohibited the transfer of locally manufactured weapons to combat zones.

However, Merkel’s legacy remains intact in the area of embracing refugees. At the height of a major influx of refugees into Europe, she had announced an open-door policy for those fleeing wars in countries like Syria. This gesture of 2015 will always be remembered. Although a large portion of the estimated 2 million who fled Ukraine have resorted to the nations closest to Ukraine, some have made their way to Germany where people have provided refuge and assistance.

Another portion of Merkel’s legacy, according to Schwarzer, that is still intact is that during Trump’s presidency, she was considered as the de-facto leader of the West, with detractors pointing out that Trump’s presidency weakened America’s influence on the global stage.

According to Schwarzer, Scholz has expanded on the same concept; he says the same things in a “more specific way.” This sense of obligation could be termed as a continuum of Merkel’s legacy.

(Attribution:  Kremlin.ru)

On Monday, Bobbie and Bill Kilberg began fundraising for Liz Cheney’s reelection in Wyoming. They thought that the Republican donors would be limited to a few dozens. They decided to host a cocktail party for them at their home located in McLean, Virginia. However, the numbers who wanted to attend and meet her and Mitt Romney were so many that they moved to a bigger venue and limited the number of invitees to 75.

If you wondered why Liz Cheney has become so popular and how come there is so much interest in her despite Trump’s avowal to ensure her defeat in the primaries, then the answer is the that this is the reason why she is getting Republican support as she is seen as an anti-Trump champion, which is welcomed by a section of Republicans. However, she needs to win in Wyoming first on August 16, to spread her wings at a national level.

Liz Cheney will face a strong primary challenger–Harriet Hageman. She is not only a one-time adviser of the congresswoman but is also endorsed by Trump and has almost totally cleared the field making a direct contest between her and Liz. Defeating Liz is one of Trump’s top priorities as she is one of the few vocal anti-Trump voices in the GOP.

When asked for comment about national aspirations, Liz Cheney’s spokesperson did not comment. However, Liz has been raising her profile by visiting New Hampshire and speaking at national Republican organizations including the Ripon Society. She has also raised huge funds. In the last quarter of 2021, she raised $2 million, which is a personal record.

Two famous Republicans, who have played major roles in the nation–George W. Bush and Mitt Romney have introduced their broad donor networks, directly to her. She also has a lot of familial support and she comes from an old and prominent Republican family.

On Sunday, former president Barack Obama posted on social media that he had tested positive for COVID-19. However, Michelle Obama tested negative. He also said that he was feeling fine, despite the positive result and expressed his gratitude for being vaccinated. Several leaders, across the world sent wishes for a speedy recovery to the popular former president.

The former president announced at 1:05 AM on March 14, on Twitter that he had “just tested positive for COVID.” He mentioned having a “scratchy throat for a couple of days.” He also said that both Michelle and he were grateful that they had been vaccinated and boosted and that she had tested negative.

Obama added that it was a reminder to get vaccinated for those who have not as yet taken a jab, “even as cases go down.”

Just a year ago, both the Obamas had publicly stated that they had been vaccinated and requested others to also get vaccinated. The former first lady had called vaccines the “best shot” to beat the virus and to go back to living a life where one could do the things they missed out on, in order to stay safe. Michelle also said that “getting vaccinated” would “save lives.”

When vaccines were first introduced in the nation, there was a high level of hesitancy to get a shot. So, four former presidents–Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama got together to record a public service message to popularize vaccines.

Former president and first lady Donald Trump took their vaccine shots privately when they were in the White House. In December, Trump confirmed that he got a booster shot.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have also been vaccinated and have got booster shots. So, it looks like all the presidents are safe from severe COVID as vaccinated persons generally get a mild form of the infection. Although COVID cases are declining across the nation, getting vaccinated or boosted decreases the severity and fatality of the infection.

As Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. and its allies hit back at the country by imposing economic sanctions on its rich oligarchs as well as on its export and import activities. The Russian economy has slowed to unprecedented levels, not witnessed since the end of the Cold War. It has overtaken Iran and has become the most sanctioned country in the world.

Although Russia will suffer from economic hardships, past economic sanctions on countries belonging to the Middle East have shown that there are consequences that follow such sanctions. Generally nations who are sanctioned by a group of allies move towards their adversaries.

In the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, emerging super power China has not voted against Russia in the United Nations. Vladimir Putin was one of the few leaders who attended the Beijing Olympics. There is a stronger possibility of the relationship become even more stronger after the economic sanctions by the West and its allies. It could also redraw relationships with other countries who are Western adversaries.

Western sanctions have hit the pockets of Russian oligarchs and their luxurious lifestyle has come into the forefront, something the ordinary Russian may or may not be aware of. Luxury exports such as seafood, diamonds and alcohol have also been blocked by the West. Although these sanctions will effect the fortunes of the rich who run these export industries, the normal Russian who lives a simple life will also get affected.

However, the closing down of McDonald’s,   Yum Restaurants, Starbucks, Coca Cola and PepsiCo as well as gaming and social media could have a larger impact on both the multinationals who earn a lot feeding the ordinary Russian with Western foods as well as Russians who have got used to taking such Western goods and services for granted due to their easy availability.

From a nutritional perspective, Russians will go back to eating their simple and hardy foods. However, they would most probably miss the sodas, burgers and pizzas and other Western aspirational items that had become the norm in Russia, until the Ukrainian invasion took place.

(Photo: Tomasz Makowski)

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