Is Berlin willing to brave Washington's wrath and restore ties with Russia?

Berlin is ready to restore its relationship with Russia, clearly understanding that it would "create friction" with Washington, which, in turn, will use all its influence over Eastern European states to restrain the rapprochement of the two. But for now, Germany is only "testing the waters" before its final decision, according to Stratfor.

Berlin is "testing the waters before making a decision on the future of Germany's relationship with Russia," according to an article published on the website of an American intelligence agency Stratfor (also known as Strategic Forecasting and widely known as the "shadow CIA") following the meeting between President Putin and German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel in Moscow on Wednesday.

"Germany sent a signal Wednesday that it is rethinking its relationship with Russia, when Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow," the article says .... http://sputniknews.com