Merkel flew to Ukraine again after visiting Putin.
From there she warns Russia and promotes a new summit.
Kiev - Chancellor Angela Merkel * and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj have warned Russia to use the new Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a “political weapon”. There will be sanctions against Russia "if the pipeline is used as a weapon," said the CDU * politicians at a meeting with Selenskyj in Kiev on Sunday. Germany and the USA have agreed on this. Zelenskyi will also meet US President Joe Biden in Washington at the end of the month to fight the project. The USA is against the almost finished line.
"I consider it a dangerous weapon not only for Ukraine, but for all of Europe," said Zelensky.
Ukraine fears that once Nord Stream 2 goes into operation it will no longer play a role as a transit country for Russian gas deliveries to Europe.
The country lost billions of dollars in revenue that it actually depends on.
Merkel in Ukraine: Chancellor mentions "hydrogen partnership"
Merkel made it clear that Germany wanted to support Ukraine in future use of the transmission network.
The lines could be used to transport hydrogen, for example.
A "hydrogen partnership" with Ukraine is therefore under discussion.
Zelenskyi said, however, that the transition would take a long time.
However, Nord Stream 2 is an acute problem.
Germany has repeatedly declared that it will work with Russia for a continuation of the gas transit treaty through Ukraine.
However, its President Vladimir Putin * made it clear at a meeting with Merkel in Moscow on Friday that this was dependent on market demand.
Russia will fulfill the transit agreement until 2024.
Ukraine has long been the main transit country for gas supplies from Russia to Europe.
But its importance has been declining for years - because of the commissioning of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline about ten years ago, but also because of the bypass pipelines through Belarus and the Black Sea.
While in 1998 141 billion cubic meters were pumped through Ukraine, in 2020 it was just under 56 billion cubic meters.
This is reflected in the income from transit fees, which is important for the country.
They shrank from what was once the equivalent of more than 2 billion euros to around 1.7 billion last year.
This year they are expected to be just over a billion.
+
Volodymyr Selenskyj (r.), President of Ukraine, and Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) at their meeting on Sunday
© - / Ukr.
Presidential Press Office / AP / dpa
Chancellor Merkel promotes a new Ukraine summit: "That would bring us progress"
Merkel also spoke out in favor of a new Ukraine summit with the participation of the heads of state from Russia, France and Ukraine.
"I think that would bring us progress," she said.
The results of the attempts to find a solution to the conflict in the east of the country are not satisfactory.
Nevertheless, the peace plan brought calm.
However, this calm is not permanent and also not sustainable.
In the press conference, Merkel pointed out that the planned crossings with the separatist area had not come.
The Ukrainian president called for further pressure on Russia to pacify the region.
He thanked Merkel for her support.
Germany and France have been mediating in the conflict for several years.
Ukraine is grateful to Germany for supporting the sovereignty
"We are grateful to the German side for the tough position and the support of our sovereignty," said Selenskyj.
He called for the implementation of the resolutions of the Ukraine summit in Paris in December 2019.
There was to be a follow-up summit in Berlin last year - but a new meeting has not yet taken place.
Merkel now said that she and Selenskyj were ready to do so.
At the same time, she praised Ukraine * for reform efforts.
For more than seven years, Ukrainian government troops have been fighting against Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk areas along the Russian border.
According to UN estimates, more than 13,000 people have been killed since then.
A peace plan is on hold.
(dpa / cibo) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
Also read:
Merkel in Germany - Chancellor intervenes with a speech in the election campaign
List of rubric lists: © - / Ukr.
Presidential Press Office / AP / dpa
