Moscow, 16 February 2022 (TDI): On Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Moscow to meet President Putin. It was the first visit of Scholz as German Chancellor to Russia. Both leaders discussed the regional security issues dominated by the Russia-Ukraine border crisis. They also showed a willingness to solve the issue through diplomatic means.
Ich habe Präsident #Putin in Moskau verdeutlicht, dass für uns in Deutschland und Europa nachhaltige Sicherheit nicht gegen, sondern nur mit Russland erreicht werden kann. Von allen ist jetzt mutiges Handeln gefragt. Es ist unsere verdammte Pflicht, für den Frieden einzutreten.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) February 15, 2022
Key Remarks during German Chancellor and Vladimir Putin Meeting
German Chancellor said that he is happy that both leaders are meeting face to face with each other. That is why he said that as a head of government, it is his foremost duty to prevent any escalation of the war in Europe.
He further added that to achieve stability and to maintain it for the longer-term, High-level dialogue between Russia and Germany’s European partners is important.
Similarly, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of economic ties between Germany and Russia, as Germany is the second biggest trade partner of Russia after China. During the Press Conference, President Putin said,
Russia is ready to cooperate and to join the negotiation table. President Putin added that Germany is one of the important partners of Moscow, and Moscow is intended to cooperate with Berlin.
Referring to Ukraine, the German Chancellor said that prescence4of troops at Ukraine Border are a threat to Europe security. However, he welcomed the Russian decision to withdraw troops and considered it as a positive signal.
German Chancellor further added, “dialogue cannot end in a cul de sac, that would be a disaster for everyone, it is important to go the road of diplomacy to avoid war in Europe.”
Joint Press Conference Details
In response to a question related to the Russian intentions for war, President Putin pointed out, “we do not want war in Europe.” He further added that people from this generation don’t want war in Europe.
For that reason, Russia had proposals to start negotiations and dialogue for the equal security of everyone in the region.
While answering questions related to the NATO membership of Germany, President Putin mentioned that every country has a right to join any military alliance. However, the important thing to note is that it should not be at the cost of the security of any other country.
During the meeting, the Nord Stream 2 was also discussed. President Putin said that Russia is willing to continue providing Gas through Ukraine beyond 2024.
Difficult Situation for Berlin
Presently, Russia is finding itself in a difficult situation. Germany is a member state of NATO and an Important Trade Partner for Russia. And the threat of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine is creating difficulties for Germany.
In the past few days, Germany has vowed its support for Ukrainian Sovereignty. Nonetheless, the country receives critics for selling weapons to Ukraine as the region is an active conflict zone.
Finally, it is important to note that, the visit of German Chancellors to Moscow is a last-minute attempt to avoid any chances of war. However, all eyes are on President Putin to show and support the de-escalation of the tensions.
){kind=link}