Completing two months in the position that for sixteen years was held by Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, made in the last hours his first trip to the United States to meet with the local president, Joe Biden. The German chancellor and head of the Social Democratic Party, who is credited with some complacency towards Moscow, visited Washington to clear up existing doubts both locally and internationally about Germany’s position on the Ukrainian crisis. That is why germany and the United States said they will respond forcefully and “jointly,” that is, with the rest of the NATO allies, if there is a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In case this happens, in addition, the US president said that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, designed by the giant Gazprom to send Russian natural gas through the Baltic Sea directly to Western Europe, will not be activated. The project was carried out by nord Stream AG, founded by Gazprom, and has investments from the companies Engie, Omv, Shell, Uniper and Wintershall Dea. The construction of the pipeline began in 2018 and ended at the end of 2020.The US president and the German chancellor have also been forceful in promising “rapid and severe” sanctions if Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, decides to intervene in the neighboring country. I will underline the obvious: Germany is one of our closest allies,” said Biden, who highlighted the diplomatic route as a priority.
Asked at a news conference about U.S. citizens living in Ukraine, Biden said he “would hate if they were caught in the crossfire.” On this plane, after his time in Moscow, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived today in Ukraine to meet with his local counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, amid a frantic diplomatic activity due to tensions between Russia and the West around the former Soviet republic. The entire French team in Ukraine, including me, has the honor of receiving in Kiev the president, Emmanuel Macron, who is coming to meet Vladimir Zelensky. A very intense day awaits us,” said The French Ambassador to Ukraine, Etienne de Ponsin.
