Putin's and Lavrov's Minsk "Cunning Strategy" (Plan A, the illusion," and "there is no other plan") is like the story of Kelly (P+L) and Kaa (the Empire)

The Empire is like an anaconda--it is systematically tightening its grip around Russia ever since 1991 for, the policy of containment was more of a seduction, hypnotizing teaser for the Soviet leadership, which did work. 

However, with Minsk 1 and 2, it is perhaps the first time in history when a whole country, a whole leadership and a proclaimed chess genius, took on themselves the coils of the anaconda willingly--as "the only plan they have," as "the only solution," having refused to consider or develop any other option or alternative.

As a minimum, the leaders in Moscow could and should at least hold some basic moral position and principles, but even that they seem to be unable and unwilling to do. 

As a minimum, they could and should make war on corruption and put all their efforts into a creating their own independent financial and economic system; but, no, they are not much into that either. 

When your leader's best buddy is someone like Berlusconi, the air of morality and principles, which was supposed to keep a bedazzling halo around his head,  quickly evaporates and makes much of so otherwise cherished illusions and debates mute and hollow.

Thus, also unnoticed and ignored by many went the recent stunning exchange at rt.com CrossTalk, which spelled out the unpronounceable for the believers firmly entranced and squeezed by the Empire's Leviathan and its display of Hegelian false opposites: Mark Sleboda correctly asserted that Minsk, the Kremlin-avowed one, sole and only Plan, Moscow's Plan A, has been and is an illusion. Babic, a senior propagandist, replied in defense: "There is no Plan B." The other person on the panel tried to argue feebly that the plan is working though.

The fact that Russia's "own strategy" (or the lack of it, which is almost the same thing here) and the US own systematic strategy employed since 1991 is based on the model of a python-like grip, squeezing, infolding, enveloping and slow and gradual, ever systematically progressing devouring of the mesmerized and ever so feebly "concerned" victim comes out well from the way in which the notorious Nuland describes it:

Anti-Russian sanctions will tighten if Moscow fails to honor the Minsk accords, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland has said. That will definitely happen, she said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio, answering a related question. Nuland added that the sanctions would stay in place until the complete fulfillment of the Minsk agreements, including restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty over all borders and withdrawal of Russian armaments and troops from the Ukrainian territory. The sanctions will be lifted, with the exception of Crimea, after the Minsk accords are fully implemented, Nuland emphasized.The assistant secretary added that the pressure would grow ...

So when it comes to Russia's Ukrainian policy and is Putin's and Lavrov's embrace of Minsk 1 and 2, it is also possible to say that Minsk 1 and 2 has also "embraced" Putin and Lavrov  and, through them, also Donbass and Russia herself. But this seemingly mutual embrace does not mean that everyone is doing the embracing in the same way and with the same status and end result. 

So, to make the obvious even more obvious, having embraced Minsk 1 and 2 (and much else besides), Putin and Lavrov are like Kelly from this story presented by Deviant Art: