By using the same time-honored techniques that Germany employed in its surprise attack at the Battle of the Bulge ... that ...

Germany was battling Saturday to secure a heavily loaded tanker stranded off its northern coast, towing the stricken ship that it said was part of Russia's sanctions-busting "shadow fleet" away ...

so Germany fears it could be a soft target for Russia in case Moscow wanted to destabilise Europe by attacking the big three.

While hosting the president of Belarus in Moscow today, Vladimir Putin suggested there were "questions" about US ceasefire ...