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POLITICS

Russian gas must not be ‘weapon’ against Ukraine: German Chancellor Merkel

Russia should not use its gas -- which will soon bypass Ukraine to Europe over the nearly completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline -- as a "geopolitical weapon", German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at a joint press conference in Kiev on Sunday.

Russian gas must not be 'weapon' against Ukraine: German Chancellor Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) chats with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a welcoming ceremony prior to their meeting at the Mariinsky palace in Kiev on August 22nd, 2021. Handout / POOL / AFP

“We agree with the Americans that gas must not be used as a geopolitical weapon and it will come down to if there is an extension to the transit contract via Ukraine,” she said, referring to the expiry of Moscow’s agreement with Kiev in 2024.

The German leader, who met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky two days after visiting his Russian counterpart in Moscow, said she had discussed with Vladimir Putin extending the contract past 2024.

“We feel a special responsibility” and “understand the big concerns that President Zelensky expressed,” she said.

“We take them very seriously,” said the Chancellor, who has spearheaded the pipeline fiercely opposed by Russian neighbours Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states.

Kiev sees the soon-to-be completed pipeline as “a dangerous geopolitical weapon”, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.

The $12-billion pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea is set to double Russian natural gas shipments to Germany, Europe’s largest economy. It avoids Ukraine, depriving Kiev of essential gas transit fees.

“We view this project exclusively through the prism of security and consider it a dangerous geopolitical weapon of the Kremlin,” Zelensky said.

He added that the main risks after its completion will be “borne by Ukraine” but that the pipeline will also be dangerous “for all of Europe”.

The pipeline “will only play into the hands of the Russian Federation,” he said.

Zelensky said he and Merkel had discussed the extension, but noted that he so far had heard only “very general things”.

The construction of the pipeline led to tensions between Germany and the United States, but Washington eventually waived sanctions against the Russian-controlled builder of the pipeline.

Merkel said the Germany-US agreement specifies “sanctions” if gas is “used as a weapon”.

She added that these commitments were “binding on future German governments”, as she is set to leave office next month after 16 years in power.

Merkel has been a key ally of Ukraine since 2014, when Moscow annexed Crimea and pro-Russia separatists broke away from the country’s east.

But the German chancellor has frustrated Ukrainian authorities by opposing sending arms to Kiev and pushing across the finish line the Nord Steam 2 pipeline.

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POLITICS

Scholz calls on coalition to ‘pull ourselves together’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called on his fractious governing coalition to "pull ourselves together" following a dismal showing in EU parliament elections last week.

Scholz calls on coalition to 'pull ourselves together'

In power since the end of 2021, the three parties in government — Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the liberal FDP — have been at loggerheads on a wide range of issues including climate measures and budget spending.

“I think that this is one of the entirely justified criticisms of many citizens, namely that there is too much debate” within the coalition, Scholz told German television channel ZDF on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy.

“We need to pull ourselves together and stick together to reach agreements,” he added.

“The people have the right to demand that things change,” Scholz told public broadcaster ARD.

The three parties in the coalition suffered a severe defeat in the European elections, with the SPD achieving its worst result in a national election since 1949.

Subsequently, Scholz has faced mounting criticism within his own party.

On Saturday, however, Scholz told ZDF and ARD that he was “sure” that he would be the SPD’s next candidate for the chancellorship in the parliamentary elections scheduled for autumn 2025.

In the very short term, a new test awaits the coalition, which must reach an agreement on the 2025 budget by the beginning of July.

The FDP’s finance minister is opposed to any exceptions to the rules limiting debt and to any tax increases.

On the other hand, the SPD and the Greens are opposed to cuts in social welfare or climate protection.

The debate is also focused on increasing the resources allocated to the German army.

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