Olaf Scholz made his inaugural visit as German chancellor to Moscow on Tuesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the ongoing crisis at the Russian-Ukrainian border dominating the agenda. Scholz arrived in Moscow after a trip to Kyiv on Monday, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to strengthen Berlin’s support in the face of Russian aggression. “The most important thing is that we manage relations between countries through good discussions with each other,” Scholz said as he met Putin, adding he was glad the two leaders were able to meet face to face In a joint press conference after meeting, the chancellor said he hopes that in the near future the “blockages” in dialogue will be resolved with further high ranking discussions. “We are ready to work further together. We are ready to go down the negotiations track,” Putin told the press conference. Putin said Germany “is one of Russia’s most important partners” and said it intended to cooperate further with Berlin. He emphasized the role of economic ties between the two, with Germany being Russia’s second-biggest trade partner after China.
What did Olaf Scholz say?
Scholz expressed his “hope that in the near future we will find a solution for the current blockage with further high-ranking discussions, we need an open dialogue.” He said the two had discussed a wide variety of topics including, environmental issues, but also the fate of the civil society group Memorial as well as broadcasting rights for Deutsche Welle. Scholz said he expects that “Deutsche Welle will be able to continue its work in Russia.” Scholz said the build-up of troops at the Ukrainian border “can be seen as a threat.” However, “we now hear that more troops are being withdrawn that is a positive signal and we hope more will follow,” he added. “The inviolability of borders, applied to Ukraine, is not to be negotiated,” Scholz affirmed. “Dialogue can not end in a cul de sac, that would be a disaster for everyone,” he added, “it is important to go the road of diplomacy so as to avoid war in Europe.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday Russia was a crucial player in maintaining security in Europe, after talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. “For Europeans, it is clear that lasting security cannot be achieved against Russia but only with Russia,” he told reporters.
What did Putin say after the talks?
“We do not want war in Europe,” Putin said. Putin said Germany “is one of Russia’s most important partners” and said it intended to cooperate further with Berlin. He emphasized the role of economic ties between the two, with Germany being Russia’s second-biggest trade partner after China. With reference to Nord Stream 2, he said “let me make clear that we are willing to continue shipping gas through Ukraine beyond 2024.” The biggest issue for western powers with Nord Stream 2 has been its position in sidestepping Ukraine which relies on the revenue from the tolls on the gas that is transported through the country. The two also discussed NATO and Ukraine, with Putin saying that “countries have the right to join military alliances as our colleagues in NATO always maintain, but it is also important to maintain one’s security not at the cost of the security of other countries.” “We are also willing to continue the discussion process,” the Russian president added.
Berlin’s ambiguous relations with Moscow
Germany has found itself in a difficult situation regarding the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is both a member of NATO and an important trade partner for Russia. Berlin has repeatedly vowed its support for Ukrainian sovereignty, but has been less keen on threats of abandoning the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that would bring Russian fuel directly into Germany. Germany has also been criticized for refusing to sell weapons to Kyiv due to the region being an active conflict zone. However, Germany has not been spared retaliation from its Russian partners. The Kremlin recently banned the broadcasting of Deutsche Welle in Russia after the Russian state-backed channel RT failed to secure a legal license for broadcasting in Germany.
Economic ties at stake
Russia also showed signals of being open to further talks to avoid an open military conflict on Tuesday by announcing that some soldiers that had been participating in military exercises near Ukraine had returned to their bases. Germany joined a raft of other countries on Sunday by calling on its citizens in Ukraine to leave the country immediately, amid fears of an imminent Russian invasion. Scholz’s trip is a “last-minute attempt… to avoid war” but it is “‘up to Putin to now send signals for de-escalation,” conservative German lawmaker Thomas Silberhorn told TheTeCHyWorLD on Tuesday. Regarding a course of action for sanctions, Silberhorn warned they would go “far beyond economic” ones, with “the entire relations between Russia and Western countries” being at stake. Asked about Germany’s stance on Nord Stream 2, Silberhorn said “Germany is ready to include the Nord Stream 2 pipeline into a variety of sanctions of the Western countries,” but as part of a broader sanctions package. ab/dj (dpa, AFP, Reuters)