The Ukraine crisis continues to smolder – and a marathon of talks is underway. Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron meet on Tuesday. The pressure on Germany is growing.
- Concerns about an escalation on the Russian-Ukrainian border are growing – the focus is also on Germany’s reaction.
- Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron will meet on Tuesday (25 January).
- Criticism of the German attitude in the crisis comes from Poland.
Update from January 25, 6:13 p.m.: Macron replies that one must remain “vigilant”. “We are monitoring the situation and preparing appropriate measures.” The French President said to Ukraine: “Germany and France show solidarity.” To Russia: “We will never give up the dialogue with Russia.”
Then follows a kind of threat with a view to the Kremlin: “We are preparing a joint response in the event of an escalation. If an answer comes, then the costs will be high.” What that means in concrete terms remains unclear for the time being. Orientation towards the USA seems conceivable, however. On Tuesday, the United States announced severe economic sanctions against Russia in the event of an attack on Ukraine.
Update from January 25, 6:09 p.m: Scholz addresses the situation in Ukraine. “There are many troops stationed there and it is therefore necessary that everything is done now to ensure that the situation develops differently than is sometimes feared at the moment.”
What if Russia invades Ukraine? “We expect Russia to take clear steps that will contribute to de-escalating the situation, and we all agree that military aggression would have serious consequences,” says Scholz, without being specific. “We take the situation seriously, because it is serious.” If the situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate, everything will be done “that we can get out of the situation through talks.”
Update from January 25, 6:05 p.m: Macron also addresses the Ukraine conflict. He calls on Russia to de-escalate the situation. One wants to “find a political solution,” says Macron. It is about working together with the OSCE and the NATO countries such as the USA. The fact that Germany and France are on the same line is elementary.
Update from January 25, 5:59 p.m: “We expect Russia to take clear steps that will contribute to de-escalation,” says Scholz, referring to the Ukraine conflict. It is agreed that military action is not appropriate. Germany wants to work with France to help resolve the conflict. It is also about a joint meeting at consultant level in the so-called Normandy format. “It’s good that we’re talking,” said Scholz, referring to the meeting of political advisers from Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine scheduled for Wednesday in Paris.
Update from January 25, 5:56 p.m: The PK begins about ten minutes late. Scholz begins by praising the “close friendship” between Germany and France. “We want a strong Europe and we will work hand in hand.”
Update from January 25, 5:30 p.m: Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron want to make a statement in 15 minutes. The focus is on the statements on the Ukraine conflict. We accompany the press conference for you here in the live ticker.
Scholz-Macron meeting: Explosive talks on Ukraine expected – Poland teases Germany
First report from January 25th: Berlin – The Ukraine conflict keeps the EU in suspense: Early on Tuesday evening (January 25), Chancellor Olaf Scholz* (SPD) will receive French President Emmanuel Macron* in Berlin for talks. The most burning issue will then be the situation on the border between Russia and eastern Ukraine.
A video conference had already been scheduled the evening before. The participants – including US President Joe Biden*, Macron and Scholz – once again expressed their desire for a diplomatic solution and threatened Moscow with serious consequences in the event of further aggression against Ukraine, as the governments in Washington and Berlin announced.
Scholz and Macron discuss the Ukraine crisis – next round of talks on Wednesday
The German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit* said afterwards that the group had “assured their full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”. Everyone had agreed that issues of security and stability in Europe had to be resolved through negotiations.
On Wednesday, in turn, representatives of Russia and Ukraine want to meet in Paris for talks. Together with France and Germany, a meeting should take place at the consultant level in the so-called Normandy format, it said on Monday from Élysée circles. In terms of content, it should be about negotiating humanitarian measures and setting a date on which Ukraine and separatists will discuss a law on the status of Donbass. It should also be about considerations by Ukraine* for the time after the intended reintegration of the breakaway areas in eastern Ukraine.
Russia in focus: “Normandy Format” a factor again? Poland criticizes Scholz
France and Germany are mediating in the Normandy format conflict between Ukraine and Russia that has been going on since 2014. However, the peace plan agreed in Minsk in 2015 is on hold. According to UN estimates, more than 14,000 people have been killed in fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Kremlin separatists in Ukraine’s Donbass region. Western countries have recently repeatedly expressed concern that the conflict could escalate militarily if Russian troops invaded.
Russia, on the other hand, blames the West for the heightened tensions in the conflict with Ukraine. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied planning an attack on Ukraine. He accused the West of an anti-Russian “information campaign” and “hysteria.” Rather, the growing danger of an “attack” comes from the Ukrainian side.
There is also criticism of Germany for completely different reasons: Poland is critical of the Federal Republic’s position in the Ukraine crisis. “I am concerned about the situation in Ukraine and the reactions of our neighbors in Germany to the threat from Russia,” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on Facebook. Also reported that Wall Street JournalGermany is effectively preventing its NATO partner Estonia from providing its own military aid to Ukraine by denying the Baltic state export licenses for German weapons to Ukraine.
Scholz-Macron meeting in Berlin: Other topics on the agenda
For Scholz and Macron, however, other items are also on the agenda: It is about the French Council Presidency, the German G7 Presidency, but according to the Federal Government also about other current international and bilateral issues.
On January 1st, France took over the EU Council Presidency for six months. Since then, Germany has chaired the group of seven major industrial nations for one year. (AFP/fn/dpa/rtr) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
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