Chancellor Angela Merkel travels to Russia on January 11 for talks with President Vladimir Putin. The subject of the current development in the Middle East, reports the press office of the Russian Presidential Office. The situation in Syria, Libya and Ukraine will also be discussed. Putin invited Merkel. A location of the meeting was initially not announced.
Since the targeted killing of the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani by the US military, international efforts to calm the situation in the Middle East have been in full swing.
It is obvious that the Chancellor talks to Putin "about the currently open trouble spots", said government spokesman Steffen Seibert in Berlin. Accordingly, she is accompanied by Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD).
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Maas announced consultations from Germany, France and the UK on Iran's further move away from the nuclear deal. The talks are scheduled to take place on Monday. "We won't be able to accept what Iran has just announced with a shrug," says the SPD politician on Deutschlandfunk. Tehran's plans were not in line with the nuclear treaty. After talks with Iran and consultations with the International Atomic Energy Agency, a decision will be made. "It hasn't gotten any easier, and it could also be the first step towards ending this agreement, which would be a huge loss." A response coordinated with France and the UK is expected this week.
Maas described the US position on Iraq as "not very helpful". It is important to convince the government in Baghdad with arguments and not with threats, says the SPD politician on Deutschlandfunk. President Trump has threatened Iraq with sanctions after the parliament in Baghdad called for foreign troops to be withdrawn from the country. "We will accept any decision made there (in Iraq)," Maas said. Bundeswehr soldiers are also deployed in Iraq.