Message To, Message From The Sphinx

"Unfortunately, Mr. Putin does not share our values. Despite our best efforts to turn him into a partner, Mr. Putin has continued to see himself as a rival of the western world and he has created a rivalry instead of a partnership."
"That is the reality we have to come to terms with. I don't see any return of Mr. Putin to the table unless Russia fundamentally changes course and its orientation to the world."
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper

CBC -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, 27 March 2014

"We are trying to win the other side over to pursue a course where Ukraine is allowed to take its own sovereign decisions. It is not that all these decisions have to be against Russia, but Ukraine needs to be in a position to make its own decision to hold free and fair elections and elect a president and pursue economic links with all partners it wishes to have. This is a very simple demand."
"We are not pursuing a military solution. We don't think a military solution is a viable option ... We made it very clear at the G7 that there will be [further] sanctions if de-escalation does not take place [and] matters spin out of control between Russia and Ukraine."
"The G8 can only happen if there is a certain conducive atmosphere. Part of that conducive atmosphere is common ground regarding a shared understanding of international law and values. If that is not there the G8 simply does not exist as a format and certainly not as a summit meeting."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel

The European Union and the G7 have imposed a first round of sanctions and topped it off with a second-degree sanctions agenda against the Russian Federation. There is the travel ban on selected individuals representing officials and business people in Mr. Putin's close circle. Some assets have been frozen, and the ability of one Russian bank to operate as usual internationally has been hampered by sanctions.

A third level of sanctions is being contemplated. "There are very clear definitions and I hope that we don't need to get there", said the German chancellor. "But if there is further escalation we will act resolutely and with cohesion in Europe. We did not only write this down. I am convinced we will do so", she averred. Sanctions, needless to say, and openly acknowledged by Mr. Harper and Ms. Merkel, represent a double-edged sword potentially harming the West, though not as gravely as Russian would be harmed.

And that, no doubt, is what led President Vladimir Putin to place a telephone call to President Barack Obama -- to present a tentative overture, to prevent further escalation of sanctions. There would be no expectation that President Putin might entertain any demand that the annexation of Crimea be undone; it is done and will not be turned around. But the international censure of Russia over its belligerence in Ukraine, threatening east Ukraine, and making Latvia, Estonia and Moldova extremely concerned could be a matter of discussion.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia called President Obama on Friday. Credit Alexei Nikolsky/RIA Novosti Kremlin, via Associated Press

The conversation between Mr. Putin and Mr. Obama ended with hope for a potential settlement of the standoff. An agreement was reached that their top diplomats meet again to discuss certain crisis-defusing proposals. Speaking from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where Mr. Obama is meeting with King Abdullah to discuss Iran, Syria and related security issues, Mr. Obama was in possession of intelligence reports warning that Russia could conceivably continue its incursions into Ukraine, on the pretext of concern over violence against the Russian population in east Ukraine.

There is no measure of certainty over what motivated President Putin to break his stolid silence, and communicate with President Obama. "President Obama underscored to President Putin that the United States continues to support a diplomatic path in close consultation with the government of Ukraine and in support of the Ukrainian people with the aim of de-escalation of the crisis. President Obama made clear that this remains possible only if Russia pulls back its troops and does not take any steps to further violate Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty", a statement from the White House clarified.