Putin Tests West's Sanctions Resolve On Visit To Slovenia

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at a Russian Chapel in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Saturday, July 30, 2016. Slovenia, which has joined sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Crimea and meddling in Ukraine, has been very careful to portray Putin's visit on Saturday as strictly informal and not against the EU policies.
Darko Vojinovic, Associated Press

VRSIC, Slovenia (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin struck a conciliatory tone Saturday on a visit to Slovenia, shaking hands and honoring dead soldiers as he tested Western resolve in maintaining crippling sanctions against the Kremlin for its role in Ukraine.

Slovenia, a small Alpine nation where U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's wife Melania was born and grew up, is a member of both the 28-nation European Union and NATO. It has kept friendly relations with Russia even as it joined EU sanctions against Moscow for its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and its support for insurgents in eastern Ukraine.

On only his third visit to an EU nation this year, Putin attended the centenary commemoration of a chapel in the Julian Alps that was erected in honor of over 100 Russian and other World War I prisoners of war who died in an avalanche while building a winding mountain road for their Austrian army captors in 1915.

At the small, Orthodox-style wooden church named St. Vladimir chapel, Putin was met by Slovenian President Borut Pahor. Thousands of people packed in front of the chapel in the blazing heat as a chorus sang old Russian church songs. They greeted Putin with a long applause and loud cheers. He waved back and shook their hands.

Read more: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765688516/Putin-tests-Wests-sanctions-resolve-on-visit-to-Slovenia.html

[uawchild]

1. With the Brexit, the EU is more likely to lift sanctions

Germany and Austria have already floated the idea of gradually lifting sanctions as the Minsk II peace accord is implemented.

This is now more likely with the UK leaving the EU.

[Kingofalldems]

2. Well we know Trump will back him 100% regardless.

And he will in turn hack Democrats' computers.

[63splitwindow]

3. Melania is Sloveniam immigrant. Coincidence?

[monmouth4]

4. I was just going to post that. Very strange and coincidental..n/t

[Scoopster]

5. Melania

Yeah she is, and ya know I was thinking about this yesterday because I saw an article about Melania going back to Slovenia. You don't think there's a meeting going on there do ya?