Reactions to the NATO-Russia crisis: “Diplomatic turbo in full swing”

In political Berlin, the new mediation attempts in the conflict with Russia are welcomed. It is important that everyone responsible tries to prevent the worst, said SPD politician Roth.

There are great doubts in the EU and NATO that a new war in Europe can still be prevented. But with the mediation of French President Emmanuel Macron, there is now a new attempt.

Choosing a comparison from the world of chess for the diplomatic efforts, FDP parliamentary group leader Alexander Graf Lambsdorff explains: Putin looks at the playing field and sees that there is a lot of movement there: “People are ready to talk to Russia about critical issues. And I believe that there is a chance for diplomacy if Moscow accepts this offer,” Lambsdorff said in the joint morning magazine ARD and ZDF.

Invasion or talks?

It is important that “the diplomatic turbo continues to run at full speed,” agrees the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Michael Roth. The SPD politician welcomes the rbbthat all those responsible – from the US President to the French President to the German Chancellor – would try to prevent the worst from happening.

And former OSCE observer in eastern Ukraine, Alexander Hug, continues to give diplomacy a chance. “I’m not ruling out an invasion. But I think President Putin’s first intention is to continue talks,” Hug said in the joint morning magazine ARD and ZDF.

The FDP politician Lambsdorff rejected the call, which also came from Ukraine to impose sanctions against Russia: As long as the discussion process is ongoing, that is wrong, according to Lambsdorff.

Threatened sanctions for Russia

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed in principle to another summit meeting: However, Washington said that the condition was that Russia did not invade Ukraine beforehand. The situation in eastern Ukraine had deteriorated significantly in recent days. The West fears this is a pretext being created to justify an impending attack.

Meanwhile, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen spelled out very specifically what consequences the sanctions that have already been prepared could have for Moscow: “The financial sanctions mean that, in principle, Russia will be cut off from the international financial markets.” That’s what von der Leyen said about Anne Will in the ARD.