The climate remains tense, but the hope of avoiding a war between Russia and Ukraine increased on Wednesday, February 9, after the intense diplomatic activity of recent days. “Today, there are real chances” of de-escalation, welcomed the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba, for whom the situation remains “tense, but under control”.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also expressed optimism, welcoming the “progress” born of the resumption of intense diplomatic exchanges between Moscow and the West. “The mission is to ensure security in Europe and I believe that we will achieve this”he said.
The French presidency also welcomed the fact that Emmanuel Macron’s tour to Moscow, Kiev and Berlin had reached its ” goal “ by allowing to” to advance “ to calm the situation. It is now about “Allow everyone to take a break and consider the means of de-escalation (…) in a time of growing tensions” on the border between Russia and Ukraine, according to the same source.
“There have been positive signals about Ukraine’s decision to act solely on the basis of the Minsk agreements, that’s a plus”for his part estimated the spokesman of the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, referring to the agreements signed in 2014 and 2015 by Kiev and the pro-Russian separatists under the aegis of Paris, Berlin and Moscow, which aimed to end the conflict in the eastern Ukraine. “But we didn’t hear President Zelensky say he was ready to deal with it quickly”he continued.
After a long face-to-face with Vladimir Putin on Monday, Emmanuel Macron assured that he had received pledges from the Russian president so that there would be no” climbing “ additional.
Olaf Scholz on a wire
Russia is preparing to receive the head of British diplomacy, Liz Truss, for a two-day trip. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to visit Poland, where the United Kingdom intends to deploy additional soldiers.
It is in this context that Olaf Scholz is increasing his involvement, in response to criticism in recent weeks about his discretion and a supposed complacency with regard to Moscow. After welcoming the head of the Danish government, Mette Frederiksen, on Wednesday, Angela Merkel’s successor will receive the leaders of the Baltic countries, neighbors of a worrying Russia, on Thursday. Despite the announcement of the dispatch of 350 more German soldiers to Lithuania as part of a NATO mission, Berlin’s reluctance over Estonia’s delivery of German arms to Kiev has created tensions.
Mr. Scholz walks on a wire, between the expectations of his Western partners and the dependence of his country on Russian gas. Germany’s gas reserves have fallen to a level “disturbing”the government announced on Wednesday.
The high point of this diplomatic activity: the long-awaited visit of Olaf Scholz to Vladimir Putin on February 15, the first since his election as chancellor at the beginning of December. The shadow of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which links Russia to Germany and is not yet certified, continues to hang over relations between the two countries.
An unknown remains, however, as to the real intentions of Mr. Putin, who did not say a word on Monday of the tens of thousands of Russian soldiers deployed on the borders of Ukraine.