Will the German elections weaken European unity in favor of Ukraine, already shaken by the return of Donald Trump to the White House in 2025?
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Friday November 15 that he had spoken by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is the first formal exchange in two years, not only between the chancellor and the Russian president, but also between a Western leader and the head of the Kremlin. The conversation comes a few days after the contact established between Mr. Putin and the next American president, while kyiv is on the defensive in the face of the advance of Russian troops, at the dawn of a third winter of war.
The approach was strongly criticized by Ukraine, because it drives a wedge into the front displayed by the West in support of kyiv, at a time when Joe Biden is preparing, on January 20, 2025, to hand over to the winner of the American presidential election. Also at a time when the Social Democratic Chancellor (SPD) is entering the electoral campaign, with a view to the early elections of February 23, 2025, following the breakup of his coalition.
During this exchange, Olaf Scholz “condemned the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine”, indicated the chancellery, as well as the use of North Korean troops, and asked Russia to demonstrate that it would “ready for serious negotiations with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace.”
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Informed in advance by Berlin, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, did not hide his irritation, accusing Olaf Scholz of having thus “opened Pandora’s box” with this “attempt at appeasement” towards Moscow – a clear allusion to the language used by European allies in the 1930s when faced with the threat of Nazi Germany. “This is exactly what Putin has wanted for a long time, criticized Mr. Zelensky on Telegram. It is extremely important for him to come out of his isolation, the isolation of Russia, and to conduct formal negotiations which will lead to nothing. »
A critical moment for Ukraine
“We want to warn you: there will be no “Minsk 3”. We need real peace”added the Ukrainian president, in reference to a possible agreement – based on the model of that negotiated in 2015 under the aegis of France and Germany – allowing the conflict to be frozen. “Conversations with the Russian dictator alone do not bring added value to achieving a just peace”was indignant the spokesperson for Ukrainian diplomacy, Heorhii Tykhyi.
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