BERLIN, 13 Aug German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Russia and Ukraine, official representative of the German government Steffen Seibert said at a briefing. Merkel will arrive in Moscow on Friday, August 20, he said. «The details of the program will be announced next week, but it is clear that she will meet with President Putin,» Seibert added. The Kremlin said that the Russian leader intends to discuss with Merkel the development of bilateral relations, as well as international and regional issues.
The historian told how Merkel and Putin spoke «in a raised voice» The visit to Kiev is scheduled for August 22. As press secretary of the President of Ukraine Serhiy Nikiforov reported, at a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they will discuss German guarantees in the event of the launch of Nord Stream 2, as well as the situation in Donbass. Merkel is making her last visits abroad as chancellor. In September, elections will be held in Germany, the new head of government will be the candidate from the party that will gain the most votes and form the largest faction in the Bundestag.
NI spoke about the fate of Nord Stream 2 after Merkel's departure Nord Stream 2, an almost completed gas pipeline from Russia to Germany with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The United States actively opposes it, interested in promoting its LNG to the EU countries, as well as Ukraine and Poland, which call the project political. Washington has imposed sanctions four times in an attempt to obstruct construction, but it has reached its final stages and should be completed by the end of the summer. The launch of Nord Stream 2 was the subject of negotiations between Merkel and US President Joe Biden. As a result, the parties agreed to ensure the continuation of fuel supplies from Russia through Ukraine after 2024. In addition, Berlin has pledged to seek sanctions from Brussels against Moscow if it uses energy exports «as an instrument of influence.» Russia has repeatedly called to stop politicizing the situation and drew attention to the fact that the gas pipeline is beneficial not only to itself, but also to the European Union.
Has Merkel surrendered Ukraine to Putin?
