Merkel, Zelensky to meet amid renewed tensions in eastern Ukraine

Berlin (dpa) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to hold talks in Berlin on Monday with Chancellor Angela Merkel as part of the buildup to the German leader’s White House visit later in the week.

The Berlin meeting is likely to be dominated by the seven years of fighting in eastern Ukraine between government troops and Russian-backed separatist rebels as well as the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Germany has emerged over the last two decades as a key diplomatic bridge between the NATO-led Western alliance and Moscow as well as other parts of the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine.

Merkel talks with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday. It is likely her last visit to the US as chancellor before national elections are held in September in which she is not standing.

In addition to his dinner with Merkel, Zelensky is also set to meet with German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer after talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Zelensky’s talks come against the backdrop of renewed military tensions in the worn-torn eastern part of his nation and NATO having completed on Saturday a series of Black Sea drills in a show of their military strength.

This followed the confrontation in June between a Russian warship and a British destroyer off the coast of Crimea.

Both the conflict in Ukraine and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline are expected to form a key part of the talks between Merkel and Biden.

The 11-billion-dollar Nord Stream 2 pipeline supplying Russian natural gas to Europe via Germany. It has been a source US-Berlin tensions, with Washington arguing it poses a security risk by increasing Europe’s dependence on Russia.

Berlin is also trying to mitigate the impact of the Baltic seabed project on Ukraine, which has so far been a key transit nation for Russian gas to the EU. Kiev stands to lose both revenue and influence after Nord Stream 2 starts flowing. The project is expected to be completed some time next month.

Germany stresses that keeping Ukraine’s energy role is critical and insists that a previous agreement concluded between Moscow and Kiev that guarantees continuing gas supplies via Ukraine must be honoured.

Berlin has also recently expressed concern over reports of increasing ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine.

In line with the stance taken by the European Union, Germany has insisted that adhering to the 2014 Minsk agreement is the way to bring peace to the region.

A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday Berlin also stands ready to act as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia within the framework of the so-called Normandy format, which is also aimed at ending the conflict and which comprises Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France.

Zelensky’s visit to Berlin coincided with an EU decision on Monday to extend the economic sanctions it has imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict for another six months.

The EU’s trade and investment restrictions will now remain until January 31 of next year, the 27-member Brussels bloc said.