Correspondent in Berlin
As the sound of the cannon gets closer, feverishness wins over the Western camp, more than ever given over to the intentions attributed to a single man: Vladimir Putin.
This weekend, Ukraine and its American and European sponsors raised their voices against the Kremlin, without hiding their differences in the strategy to follow in the face of the threat.
“We cannot forever offer an olive branch as Russia carries out missile tests and continues to amass troops on the Ukrainian border,”
European Council President Charles Michel told the conference on Sunday. of Munich on security.
This great annual diplomatic forum devoted to transatlantic dialogue saw its edition marked by hints of the Cold War.
For the first time since 1999, it was boycotted by Moscow, worried that this event would turn into an
"anti-Russian" platform.
The health bubble, gathered in the grand Munich hotel Bayerischer Hof, lived to the rhythm of the military developments observed 2000 kilometers further east.
The OSCE observation mission deployed along the front line, separating Ukraine from the two regions controlled by pro-Russian separatists, counted at the start of the weekend nearly 1,600 ceasefire violations, for which both parties accept responsibility.
Berlin and Paris have recommended that their nationals leave Ukrainian territory.
Russia
“preparing for the biggest war in Europe since 1945”
announced British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Its troops are
“getting ready to strike,”
confirmed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
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American alarmism, which may have had a deterrent effect on the actions of the Kremlin at the beginning of last week, is no longer to the liking of Europeans and even less of Ukraine.
Relying on their own sources, the latter abstain from predicting the worst-case scenario, the repeated mention of which, they say, can have a deleterious effect on the morale of the Ukrainian populations and the economy.
"In crisis situations, the worst thing is to assume or try to guess,"
warned German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
“When you are told every day that war is going to happen the next day, that means the collapse of the currency and the flight of business circles,”
said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said
"to trust (one's) own sources".
"Complicit indifference"
At the same time, diplomatic exchanges continue, in particular between Emmanuel Macron, President-in-Office of the EU, and Vladimir Putin.
On Sunday, the two leaders agreed
to “activate the search for diplomatic means”
between representatives of the "Normandy format", according to a press release from the Kremlin This format of negotiations resulting from the Minsk agreements (2015), and bringing together Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France, currently seems to dominate alongside the laborious talks Russia/NATO.
Beijing, an ally of Moscow, also supports this process.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pleased to have led his Ukrainian counterpart to prepare laws likely to pave the way for compromises, relating in particular to the future status of the two self-proclaimed separatist republics of Donbass.
But, in Ukrainian public opinion, mistrust prevails with regard to these negotiations.
Moscow accuses Kiev of wanting to
"torpedo" them.
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Ukraine: tension is at its height in the east of the country
In Munich, the Ukrainian head of state also criticized Westerners for their delays in dealing with Vladimir Putin, regarding the prospect of his country's possible accession to the EU and NATO.
Volodymyr Zelensky reproached them for their
"accomplishing indifference"
in the face of the
"crimes"
already committed by the Kremlin, and calls on them to apply sanctions against Moscow now.
"It's time to act,"
added the head of diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba, as Russia and Belarus announced on Sunday the continuation of their joint military maneuvers in Belarus, north of the Ukrainian border.
These sanctions will be
“quick, severe and united”,
repeated, the American vice-president, Kamala Harris, who came to Munich to assure the European allies of the support of her Administration.
Berlin nevertheless seems reluctant to hit Moscow too hard, feeding back doubts, in Washington, about the firmness displayed by the German ally.
They continue to focus on the Nord Stream II gas pipeline project, which will supply Germany with Russian gas.
"
The experience of the Cold War has taught us that a mix of serious dialogue offers and a clear common position is the best way to succeed
", sums up to
Figaro
the future president of the Munich conference, Christoph Heusgen. .
Obviously, the ingredients are not all there.
