Merkel's last official visit to the Kremlin: Afghanistan will be an issue

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Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin during their meeting in the Kremlin

Photo: Guido Bergmann / dpa

Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to stay in talks with Russia despite massive political tensions.

At the start of her meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Merkel said: "Even if we have profound differences today, we talk to each other, and we should continue to do so and classify and qualify German-Russian relations." "That we can meet again - perhaps as a farewell visit, but also as a working visit - here in the Kremlin," said the Chancellor.

Shortly before, Merkel had laid a wreath at the grave of the Unknown Soldier.

The CDU politician recalled that 80 years ago Hitler's Germany had invaded the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War II.

Merkel does not mention the Navalny case for the time being

Putin said that the contacts with the Chancellor - also by telephone - had always been intensive.

Germany is an important trading partner for Russia.

Merkel and Putin met in the great Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

"The time will be full," said Merkel.

It will also deal with the situation in Afghanistan and bilateral issues such as the work of non-governmental organizations.

Because Russia recently declared three German NGOs to be undesirable organizations, the Petersburg Dialogue, which was founded 20 years ago for civil societies in both countries, has frozen its work.

Putin founded the body with the then Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

The Chancellor's visit coincides with the first anniversary of the poison attack on Putin's opponent Alexei Navalny.

The opposition was almost killed with the chemical agent Novichok on August 20, 2020.

He was treated in the Berlin Charité, where Merkel had also visited the Kremlin opponent.

The Chancellor had called for the case to be clarified by the Russian authorities and, later, for the release of Navalny, who had meanwhile been imprisoned in the prison camp.

It is the first time since the internationally condemned crime that Merkel and Putin want to answer journalists' questions together after their meeting.

However, Merkel did not address the Navalny case directly before the consultations with Putin.

Germany's government spokesman Steffen Seibert pointed out on Wednesday that Merkel's visit would take place on the first anniversary of the poison attack on Navalny.

"This still unsolved case is a heavy burden on the relationship with Russia," said Seibert.

The Kremlin then accused the Federal Government of a "propaganda campaign" against Russia.

Germany and other Western states instrumentalized the case of the imprisoned Navalny "with the aim of interfering in the internal affairs of our country," said the Foreign Ministry in Moscow.

svs / dpa / AFP