Russia and Gas Pipelines, Vaccine Cooperation Avoided Mention So Far
20,000 to 30,000 Russian Troops Deployed in Eastern Ukraine
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reportedly strongly demanded President Vladimir Putin to withdraw all Russian troops deployed in Ukraine. Until now, Germany had hardly mentioned the Ukraine situation due to cooperation issues with Russia, such as the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction and COVID-19 vaccine collaboration. However, as border clashes between Ukraine and Russia intensified, Germany appears to have changed its stance to actively intervene.
According to foreign media including the AP on the 8th (local time), Chancellor Merkel held a phone call with President Putin and strongly demanded Russia to stop its involvement in the Ukraine situation and withdraw its troops. Merkel reportedly harshly condemned the activities of Russian troops in Ukraine as "provocative actions." Germany's previously avoided stance on the Ukraine situation is being regarded as unusual.
According to The New York Times (NYT), Germany has continued the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project with Russia despite opposition and sanction pressure from the United States, and has requested cooperation for the introduction of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine. Germany has also tried to avoid showing an aggressive stance regarding the European Union (EU)'s sanctions against Russia. However, as the bloodshed worsened with clashes between Russian troops and Ukrainian soldiers near the eastern border of Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of about 20 Ukrainian soldiers, Germany is interpreted to have shifted to active intervention, NYT reported.
However, the Russian government is ignoring this. President Putin reportedly blamed Chancellor Merkel's criticism by saying, "The Ukrainian government is deliberately worsening the situation," accusing the Ukrainian government of provoking the conflict.
The Russian government also continued to criticize Ukraine's recent appeal to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for membership. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized the Ukrainian government at a press conference that day, likening their actions to "children playing with matches." Instead, the Russian government emphasized the need for the Ukrainian government to directly engage in dialogue with the regions known as Donbas, including Donetsk and Luhansk in southeastern Ukraine, which are demanding annexation to Russia, and to thoroughly implement existing agreements such as the legislation of the special status of the Donbas region.
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