Russia-Germany hockey diplomacy in Crimea; German politicians in Crimea demand the immediate lifting of sanctions (VIDEO)

Russian text of the German speaker, from video at site: "I consider that we must lift the sanctions immediately. The German people are speaking out against the sanctions. Whenever I talk with ordinary people they all with one voice say it. "We have to get rid of the sanctions."
Video below the accompanying text.

Yuri Hempel, event organizer. Text across top of screen: "German politicians in Crimea demand immediate lifting of sanctions" Screen cap from video at site.

NewsFront.ru, May 29, 2016
Report of News Front correspondents Anastasia Shkitina and Ivan Prokopov

A German delegation of representatives of the public and political life of Germany is visiting the capital of the peninsula.

The visit was organized as part of an extensive program of "Days of German Culture" and the "People's diplomacy" project, subtitled "Mutual understanding between peoples." They are on the peninsula from 25 May to 1 June. 

In the capital of Crimea representatives of the German delegation attended a concert of the creative collectives of the people of Crimea.

The main purpose of the visit of the foreign guests is the creation of a positive image of the Crimea and Russia, as well as the breaking of the information blockade.

"The other day dozens of representatives of German business, social and political life of Germany arrived in order to get acquainted with the real situation in the country and to see what is happening. The main objective of this project - strengthening the image of our multinational peninsula in the international arena. We wish that as many people as possible in the world be aware that the Crimea is a territory of peace and harmony," said Yuri Hempel, the organizer of the event.

Also, in the Simferopol Ice Palace there was a friendly hockey match between the amateur teams from Simferopol and Stuttgart. Lagoda, the Simferopol hockey team, a part of the Night Hockey League of amateur teams of the Crimean Federal District, defeated the "Ice Wolves" from Stuttgart, whose players are former professional athletes, by a score of 8: 6.

On Monday, at 15.00 hockey players of the team Yalta "White Lion" will take to the ice against the "Ice Wolves" from Stuttgart. Free admission.

Here is the video:

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Poland's Blind Faith in U.S May Cause Warsaw to Follow Ukraine

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ

14th January, 2016

Riafan

Berlin made it clear to Warsaw that their patience has its limits. The correspondent of the Federal news agency spoke to an expert to find out what can result from legislative changes in Poland, where there is an attempt to put independent branches of government and the media into submission.

On the eve of the coalition formation between the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union in the German Parliament , Volker Kauder expressed the possibility of imposing economic sanctions against Poland if Warsaw continued to ignore European values and principles. Such a reaction was provoked by the decision of the Polish government, who passed a law that allows Warsaw to directly control state-owned media in Poland.

According to Kauder, Poland should not ignore European law. He noted that in the case of violations by Poland, the EU should have the courage to impose sanctions Warsaw. Kauder expressed confidence that the European Commission is right to understand the situation with care.

According to German newspaper Der Spiegel, the new Polish government, in which the dominant role is played by the conservative party "Law and justice" Jaroslaw Kaczynski, is beginning to change the laws in an accelerated pace, being pushed to please the constitutional court. In addition, a law was passed with an absolute majority in Poland that allows the Polish authorities to appoint people to positions in the dominant state media.

Columnist for "Russia today", Rostislav Ishchenko, in an interview with the FAN, shared his opinion on the growing tension inside the European Union. According to him, the EC has no unified position on a major inside and  has foreign policy problems.

"Poland, led by a gang of Pro-American "new-europeans", on almost every occasion comes into confrontation with the Franco-German "old Europe". Not surprisingly, Berlin is gradually running out of patience and German politicians are starting to look for a way to guide Poland (and with it all "new-europeans"). I don't think in this case, Germany can break the decision on sanctions. Especially since the situational coincidences with the interests of Warsaw and Budapest (both right-wing executives who control the Parliament, trying to gain control of not only the independent branch of government, but also the media, and to achieve their political monopoly)," - said Rostislav Ishchenko.

However, the expert noted, this is a clear message to Warsaw to understand that the patience of Berlin is running out. However, Ishchenko noticed, Poland traditionally ignores such warnings, which fall on deaf ears, hoping for protection from their "senior partners".

"In 1939, when the "senior partner" was London, it ended tragically for Poland. It is unlikely that the poles will do the right thing, if you today believe similar safeguards from Washington. But Poland still believes in the USA. And this irrational faith can push Warsaw, along with other border states on the way of Ukraine (to the loss of statehood), and the will lead the EU to disintegration or reduction in size of 1990.

German Businesses Request Assistance of Sberbank

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
13th January, 2016

Izvestia

The Union of German machine builders and equipment manufacturers began negotiations with Sberbank with the aim of finding solutions to financial problems of projects that implements German business in Russia. As was reported by "Izvestia", according to the Press Secretary of the Union Holger Paul, the negotiations are still at an early stage. Perhaps the representatives of the Union will ask the Russian state bank to revitalize lending to Russian-German projects in engineering, considering that many of them can't get financing from German banks. 

According to Holger Paul, German mechanical engineering exports to Russia fell in the first nine months of 2015 by 26.7%, compared to 2014 -  €3,582 billion. Russia moved up to 10th place (fourth in 2014) in the list of countries to which Germany exports engineering products. 

Exports of German machinery to Russia fell in 2013. Last year exports amounted to €6,484 billion, a decrease compared with the previous year by 17%. In 2013 it was €7,813 billion, a decrease of 3.5% compared with 2012. In 2012 the figure was €8,095 billion (an increase of 7.6% compared with 2011). This data was presented in the presentation of the Union (at the disposal of "Izvestia").

According to German manufacturers, one of the main reasons for the reduction of German exports is not so much the sanctions imposed by the West against Russia because of events in Ukraine, but the declining world oil prices, the consequent weakness of the ruble and the economic crisis. 

In these circumstances, the purchase costs of imported equipment to Russian enterprises is expensive, and loans under high interest rates becomes unprofitable. Holger Paul refused to predict how it will change the figures of the decline in exports of mechanical engineering by the 12 months of 2015, as well as to comment on the question of how many Germans might lose their jobs due to the fall in exports to Russia.

The enterprises of machine-building complexes employs nearly a million German citizens. However, according to the Union, about 17% of German firms have already cut staff in Russia. 

In the Russian-German chamber of Commerce it was reported that after the entry of sanctions German banks are more carefully checked by the participants of credit transactions. The representative of the bank Kfw IPEX-Bank, who gave loans to the construction of a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany Nord Stream, Axel Breitbach, told Izvestia that the organization lends to Russian companies purchasing the products of German engineering.

According to him, it is necessary that financing of projects belongs to those areas in which the bank operates (the extraction of raw materials, energy, aeronautics, land transport, social infrastructure — are listed on the Bank's website), and that the business is able to service a loan.

"Since the beginning of the sanctions we observed among the participants a growing uncertainty about the impact of sanctions on basic relations between economies. Because of this uncertainty the number of funding requests has declined from the Russian partners and the European and German investors and exporters", says Breitbach. 

Representatives of the Hypovereinsbank and Commerzbank declined to comment. Representatives of Deutsche Bank and of the Association of German banks have also not responded to the requests of "News".

According to German media, the largest amount of loans provided to clients in Russia was by Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank (more than €5.4 billion and €5.2 billion respectively, approximately €1.7 billion was accounted for by Hypovereinsbank), and overall debt of Russian entrepreneurs to the German banks at the end of October 2014 exceeded €13 billion.

Experts interviewed by "Izvestia" noted that because of political risk, access to foreign funding is limited to all Russian banks and not only the largest that came under Western sanctions. 

"The financing of projects in Eastern Europe for German banks is problematic due to large political risks. Loans in Russia for businesses in comparison with the conditions of German banks are unattractive because of high interest rates and instability of the ruble. The solution to this problem is possible only at the political level (guarantees, support for investment, etc.)", said a source in the German banking industry to "Izvestia".

The limit to the crediting of projects connected with Russia has hurt German engineering, experts say. 

"With sound mind and memory, no German banker would take the risk to give a loan to a company in Russia. And if you still will, then such a loan will cease to be interesting. It is pointless to lend against assets that are in Russia. If Russian companies have assets abroad, you can take the credit. It is also possible that foreign "daughters" of the Russian Bank will give a loan to the Russian company," a source in the Russian banking industry said in an interview with "Izvestia".

The savings bank were unable to provide comment to "news".