Merkel to meet Medvedev - August 14th. EU sidelined again.

The German chancellor is meet with the Russian President in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, on August 14th.
The Kremlin describes the meeting as a "bilateral summit", but as yet no agenda has been made available.
 
Medvedev has clearly identified to the world who he considers his country's "strategic partners" to be. Angela Merkel will surely be aware that whatever spin is put on this meeting by the European press, this should be viewed in the context of a bilateral partnership between Russia and Germany, with the EU dumped firmly on the sidelines.
 
Russia's contemptuous dismissal of the EU as a temporary phenomenon of little strategic importance is not hidden. Merkel's behaviour might suggest that she lacks confidence in the project as well. As the institutions and the member states wrestle with the formulation of a coherent and much needed common energy policy, Merkel is putting her own country's interests first. She is not alone, of course, and others are following suit, notably Bulgaria, but of the EU's major players it is Germany that stands out for its neglect of the common interest in its dealings with Russia.
 
It does not help the common interest, of course, that the institutions are largely impotent at the moment. The parliament is fractured after the June elections which saw the right successful in the polls, but splitting in the chamber. The eurosceptics, so vital for ensuring breadth of debate, now sit with right-wing extremists are are likely to be further marginalised. At the commission, Barosso is fighting for political survival, and is unlikely to risk upsetting the powerful Germans by criticising the Chancellor's actions. He can only make concessions, and hope for their support, which means that if he is returned as President of the commission he will be much weakened and beholden to many conflicting interests.