Baerbock for meeting with Putin: “Come back to the negotiating table”

Foreign Minister Baerbock has sharply condemned Moscow’s actions in the Ukraine crisis. At the same time, she called on President Putin to hold further talks – although there are also red lines in these.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has welcomed France’s initiative for further top-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Ukraine conflict. At the same time, she urgently appealed to Putin: “Come back to the negotiating table.” Only Russia can solve the crisis, said the Green politician at an EU ministerial meeting in Brussels.

But Baerbock also made it clear that there are red lines in talks with Russia. “The basis of our coexistence, international law, our European treaties, they are non-negotiable.” One could talk about military exercises, common security and transparency.

Kremlin: No concrete plans so far

The initiative for a summit between Putin and US President Joe Biden came from French President Emmanuel Macron, who had spoken twice to Putin and once to Biden on the phone on Sunday. According to the White House, Biden has “in principle” already agreed to a meeting.

The Kremlin is also open in principle. “Of course we don’t rule it out,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Putin and Biden could decide to meet in person or over the phone at any time. So far, however, there are no concrete plans to do so.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba welcomed a possible meeting. He hopes that Putin and Biden “leave the room with an agreement”. At the ministerial meeting in Brussels, Kuleba also called on the Europeans to immediately impose “at least some of the sanctions” on Russia. He also renewed his call for arms supplies, which the federal government rejects. The Europeans also reject preventive sanctions against Russia.

EU helps Ukraine with 1.2 billion euros

In the meantime, the EU foreign ministers have approved emergency financial aid for Ukraine amounting to 1.2 billion euros. The grant was approved in a fast-track process in just 21 days. The support, in the form of a one-year loan, is intended to help Ukraine meet its external financing needs for 2022. “The ongoing security threats have already triggered a significant outflow of capital,” the EU said. Due to the increased geopolitical uncertainty, Ukraine is losing access to the international capital markets.

The planned disbursement of the money in two tranches is linked to progress in a reform program set up by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Other preconditions are commitment to effective democratic mechanisms, the rule of law and human rights. According to the EU Commission, the EU and its financial institutions have provided Ukraine with more than 17 billion euros in loans and grants since 2014.

“Worrying” situation in eastern Ukraine

Moscow states that it feels threatened by NATO’s eastward expansion and, according to Western information, has gathered around 150,000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine. Including the troops of the pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, there could be up to 190,000 soldiers. However, Moscow denies any attack plans.

Since 2014, the Ukrainian army and Moscow-backed separatists have been at odds in eastern Ukraine. According to UN estimates, more than 14,000 people have already been killed, mostly in the separatist area. A peace plan from 2015 mediated by Franco-German mediation is not implemented.

Baerbock described the situation in eastern Ukraine in gloomy words: “The attacks and violent clashes we’ve seen on the ground in the last 72 hours is really worrying.” The ceasefire between government troops and pro-Russian separatists is broken again and again, Baerbock said.

In addition, people’s lives are also extremely dangerous because water and power supplies have collapsed in several places. The Russian government is responsible for this. You operate an “irresponsible game with the civilian population”.