Obama is frustrating the trade deals. Obama will push for Nordstream II building license approval by Denmark. Dollar strengthens against the Euro, Yuan artificially devalues with the same percentage the same time frame.  There is something going on I cannot exactly put my finger on. It is not a trap. I think it depends on where Trump is with certain things. He seems to be stalling right now, waiting. Allow me to elaborate and indulge me, as I will be painting a picture.  *  1. Everything is connected.    I mean, I am moving from a position that everything is connected. Military spending and rebuilding, tariffs, tradedeals, economy, bringing back jobs, tax relief, leaving more money in the hands of the populace, providing room for savings and spending, increased tax revenues, the Iran and Venezuela thing, leaving two major oil producers off the market, the rest plays the game along,making him the defacto price controller, which keeps production costs under control, making sure no inflation will hit US, but exports it to third countries, exacerbating China's financial situation. And since China is trying to tie Oil/gold/Yuan, with a rising gold price in the west, difference 220 - 220 dollars, it becomes interesting to move physical to the west.  * 2. EU position.  Let's just say, EU is risking to become dependent on Russia, and is hugely intertwined with China. This weakens NATO as a whole. Brexit is a major stake in this geopolitical game.  Another plan is surfacing. The Netherlands, for now in the remain camp of the EU, wants to construct on the dogger banks in the Northsea a huge Island for energy production and traveller transit: an airport. This plan is a cooperation between UK and The Netherlands. So, the pressure on a deal brexit on the part of the EU is mounting. This choice needed to be made, as the natural gas reserves in Groningen (North Netherlands) are being squeezed (-5% already and THe Netherlands is the major inner EU NG producer) due to mounting earth tremours and damages to houses throughout the province and beyond. So, in order to decrease dependency on natural gas for heating and electricity production, windmills in the North Sea are a typical solution. The UK has to be on board with this. And given the NL status of net contributor in the EU and major creditor to the EURO, ....you can see why pressure is building.    Focusing on Ukraine, Ukraine has 42 trillion cubic feet (1.2 trillion cubic meters) recoverable frackable natural gas in West Ukraine (Biden and Hunter Biden during Obama's time were trying to get in on the action) plus another 40 billion cubic meters of natural gas in North West Black Sea. That is why Crimea is still a hot issue.  This means that when well exploited, Ukraine would turn from a country with a negative trade balance baseline, into a country with a net positive baseline. But since Ukraine signed the association agreement to EU ascension (2014), it would mean Ukraine could become a major provider of energy for the EU in and of itself, to the detriment of Russia. Add to this the gargantuane gas fields of the coast of  Cyprus (6 trillion cubic meters), of which Turkey wants a slice because of illegal occupation, Nordstream would be a nice intermediate play, but when operational, would diminish the US role in price setting. Nordstream has a 55 billion annual capacity. Adding Nordstream II would mean 110 billion cubic meters. Compare this to the total annual natural gas consumption of about 467 billion cubic meters and growing for the EU as a whole in 2017. That is 25% .... Looking at EU external origins it is reported that Norway does 30%, Russia 18% and Ukraine (transit Russian gas) 17%, so that would mean 35% for Russian Gas. Adding Nordstream II, Russian gas dependence easily would go to north of 50%. THe obama admin years provided huge opportunity to bring Ukraine into the EU sphere of influence, plus would provide for energy security on a EU domestic basis. it is easy to see why the EU was interested in a color revolution.  So, the question then is: how to loosen the ties and dependence on Russia, increase Nato independence and enhance trade?  If Nordstream II is going through after the US has secured it's stake, it then becomes also important to be in on the action in the Ukraine. I would not be surprised if there is going to be a trade-off between Russia and EU concerning Crimea at the exclusion of the US. It is easy to see how NATO membership and EU membership is now at odds ....It may explain the focus of the US to build up Nato membership of Eastern European Nations. .... Given this picture, how does China fit in? China is both a huge market place and the production powerhouse, looking for:   Markets to sell their products in order to maintain jobs, and plan 2025 (Xi)   Food security by farming out in South America and Africa   Transform dependence on exports to domestic consumption   secure shipping lanes, and transit lanes (one belt one road; new silk road + string of pearl + South China sea)   Potus tries to end the biggy bank situation by transforming the US economy towards production again. At the same time US must exert broad spectrum domination to succeed. Potus is really on track with this and given the economics in China, China now has to find a different source to finance it's ambitious plans: i.e. printing, printing, printing: very very stupid and makes China very vulnerable.  The picture is far from complete.  It seems Obama is trying to undermine this Trump plan while protecting the flow of profit.  In this whole scheme, there are many issues that bear on the outcome.