BUndecancellor Olaf Scholz wants to travel to Moscow “soon” for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The SPD politician announced this on Wednesday in the ZDF “heute journal” – without giving an exact date. Scholz responded to former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s statements on the Ukraine crisis with a powerful word: “If I understand the constitutional order of the Federal Republic of Germany correctly, there is only one Chancellor, and that’s me.”
On Friday, Schröder criticized Ukraine’s demands for arms deliveries as “saber rattling”. Scholz said: “I didn’t ask him for advice, he didn’t give me any either.”
criticism of Scholz
Scholz is accused of acting too cautiously in the Ukraine crisis. Only after much hesitation did he put the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on the table as a possible sanction instrument – and only covertly, without naming it. At the same time, he gave a clear refusal to supply arms to Ukraine, something that Ukraine and eastern NATO allies now resent. Doubts about the reliability of Germany are also being voiced in the USA.
He is now back with the interview and is trying to get off the defensive. He denies that allies see Germany as unreliable: “That doesn’t happen. (…) Our allies know exactly what they have in us.” The Chancellor refers to Germany’s contribution to NATO’s deterrence of Russia and to financial aid for Ukraine of almost two billion euros in recent years.
Scholz praises German “dual strategy”
He also reaffirms the strategy of the SPD and his government in the Ukraine crisis. The Chancellor again threatened Russia with sanctions in the event of an invasion of Ukraine and at the same time signaled his willingness to talk about de-escalation. Many people feared a war in the middle of Europe, says Scholz. “It is our common task to use this dual strategy to ensure that this does not happen.”
In order to do justice to this dual strategy, Scholz is traveling to Washington on Sunday to meet US President Joe Biden there on Monday. Then it should go to Moscow. However, other European allies were faster than the Chancellor – above all French President Emmanuel Macron. He has spoken to Putin twice on the phone in the past few days. A third conversation was on the agenda on Wednesday evening. Macron’s trip to Moscow is also being planned.
Washington no longer speaks of an “imminent” invasion
Macron also spoke to Biden on the phone late Wednesday night. According to the White House, both reiterated their support for Ukraine and “high economic costs” in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, the White House slightly changed its choice of words in the Ukraine crisis and no longer wants to speak of an “imminent” Russian invasion of the country. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the decision was made to stop using the term because it sends a message that was not intended: “which is that we know that President Putin has made a decision.”
During a phone call with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Putin criticized NATO for not responding “appropriately to Russia’s legitimate concerns”. This was announced by the Kremlin on Thursday night. Johnson, in turn, warned Putin against invading Ukrainian territory.
Erdogan in Kiev
This Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also wants to try to mediate between Ukraine and Russia in Kiev. According to government circles, he will not take one side or the other. Turkey expects tensions to ease after Erdogan’s talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Erdogan will call on both sides to exercise restraint and wants to continue working with both countries. Turkey has close ties with Russia and Ukraine, with which a free trade agreement is to be signed.
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