Ukraine crisis: Putin and Scholz rely on dialogue

Chancellor Scholz and Russian President Putin have shown confidence in a diplomatic solution. The fact that Russia has begun to withdraw individual troops from the border with Ukraine is “a good sign,” said Scholz.

At a joint press conference after their meeting in Moscow, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin showed that they were open to dialogue. “De-escalation is urgently needed,” said Scholz, referring to the Ukraine crisis. The diplomatic possibilities are far from exhausted. “As difficult and serious as the current situation seems – I refuse to describe it as hopeless.”

According to Scholz, it is clear to all Europeans and NATO that sustainable security cannot be achieved against Russia, but only with Russia. “It is our damned duty and task, as heads of state and government, to prevent an escalation of war in Europe.”

News of troop withdrawal

Scholz welcomed the previously announced withdrawal of individual troops from the border with Ukraine. “It’s a good sign and we hope more will follow.” He underlined the importance of further talks and addressed the Normandy format, in which Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France are involved. “Here we need movement and progress.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said there was no sign of de-escalation in the announced troop movements on the border with Ukraine. “We need a major troop withdrawal.” We will continue to follow closely what Russia is doing.

criticism from the chancellor

Scholz also stressed that he expects Deutsche Welle to continue operating in Russia. The Deutsche Welle office in Moscow was closed two weeks ago after Russia had issued a ban on broadcasting the day before. Putin said that during their conversation it was agreed “that we should think about how the problem can be solved.”

Putin: “Are ready to go down the path of negotiations”

Russian President Putin also announced his willingness to continue working with the West on European security issues. “We are ready to go down the path of negotiations,” Putin said. “We don’t want a war in Europe.” That is the reason why his country is demanding security guarantees from the West. So far, however, there has been no satisfactory answer to his country’s demands.

According to Putin, the question of whether Ukraine should be admitted to NATO must be decided now. He had recently warned several times against Ukraine’s admission to NATO because this would mean war – for example if Ukraine wanted to use military force to take back the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia had annexed in 2014. For years, promises have been made that NATO will not expand, Putin claimed. Russia demands written guarantees that this will not happen.

Putin: “NATO is not a peaceful defense alliance”

Putin once again rejected the notion that NATO is a peaceful defense alliance. Putin said that in Yugoslavia – Serbia – NATO bombed Belgrade without a mandate from the UN Security Council. Scholz disagreed and emphasized that genocide had been prevented at the time. Putin, in turn, replied that “genocide” was also taking place in eastern Ukraine today. While Scholz initially left Putin’s assertion unchallenged, in a later press conference of his own he called it “wrong” to use the term genocide in relation to the Donbass.

Russia sees itself as the protecting power of the Russian-speaking population in eastern Ukraine. Putin complained that Ukraine oppresses the Russian language. According to UN estimates, more than 14,000 people have died in the conflict in eastern Ukraine so far, most of them in the area controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

Putin: “Nord Stream 2 is not a political project”

Putin campaigned for the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline to be put into operation. The infrastructure project would strengthen energy security in Europe. It is a purely economic and environmentally friendly project without “political coloring,” he emphasized. The line through the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany has been operational since December.

At the same time, Putin showed his willingness to continue using Ukraine as a transit country for gas deliveries to Europe beyond 2024 – should there be a need for it in the West.

Scholz: “Everyone knows what’s going on”

Scholz said they were committed to ensuring that gas transit in Europe worked – “via Ukraine, via Belarus and Poland, with Nord Stream 1, overall in accordance with the agreements we have.” We will also take care of that, Scholz continued. Regarding Nord Stream 2’s role in the conflict, he said: “As far as the pipeline itself is concerned, everyone knows what’s going on.”