German Chancellor Scholz Wants ‘Fresh Start’ with Putin. Green Party Baerbock Sidelined

ER Editor: This is the RT piece that accompanies the Duran’s analysis. See New German chancellor to meet Putin, wants ‘fresh start’ – media.

Here are our notes on Alexander Mercouris’ analysis:

• Christoforou: The Greens have been too strong and oppositional to many useful, necessary things such as Nord Stream 2. Which has made the new German leader Olof Scholz appear weak.
• The story over the fresh start with Putin originates from Bild Zeitung, which is generally reliable for this type of story. The SPD’s Scholz has decided to take direct control of foreign policy in relation to Russia. Annalena Baerbock will lose the Russian brief. Scholz will emphasize the importance of gas and Ukraine, trying to sort out these 2 problems with Russia. Scholz is scheduled for a meeting with Putin later this month. Forces within the SPD prefer better relations with Russia. The business and union communities have been urging the govt to secure natural gas and Nord Stream 2, as well as improving relations with Russia.
• This story appears to be true because the denials one would expect are not forthcoming. With Merkel out of the way, the SPD has always been the party that has sought better relations with Russia, so maybe they are reverting to form.
• Christoforou: What does ‘better relations’ with Russia mean precisely? It clearly means Nord Stream 2, the entire project which was brokered by Gerhard Schroder originally. Merkel was on board for Nord Stream 2 historically, so there is a long history of support here. Scholz appears to back the project, too. But beyond that, the SPD faction, as well as others, want to see balanced relations with Russia. By far the most important factor is the economic one. Germany industry needs Russia to keep moving and to keep homes heated. Germany has just closed 3 of the remaining 6 power plants, leaving an energy deficit! Gas will have to be used to make us for this and some LNG supplies are being shipped to Germany. The SPD doesn’t have the same ideological problems with Russia that the Greens do. But beyond energy, within Germany there is a strong business lobby which wants better relations with Russia, which is the future of Germany. Russia is also the bridge to China where German business is involved. The business community never agreed with the sanctions put on Russia in 2014.
• But what is Scholz prepared to do? For the Russians, they are seeking resolution on the crisis in Ukraine and want legally binding guarantees and an end to NATO expansion. Germany has been a major support of EU eastward expansion, and where the EU goes, NATO follows. Are the Germans prepared to give up on eastward expansion into Georgia and Ukraine? And are the Germans really focused on what needs to be done to solve the problem in Ukraine? For Russia, the solution is direct negotiations between Zelensky and the two regional Donbass leaders. Will Scholz encourage this, or continue to see Russia as a troublesome participant, wanting it to negotiate directly with Ukraine as if it is a party to the conflict? The Russians have refused to do this. So Scholz’s stance is critical on this.
• Christoforou: Does Germany have leverage somewhere with the US on this? The Russians have shown that the EU has no power here, so can Scholz move the needle? Mercouris: this is the most sore issue of all. In the summer, Germany in cohoots with Ukraine, tried to get negotiations going between Ukraine and Russia, which made Russia very angry. Russia accused Germany and France of bad faith and Russia gave up on the EU and Germany because the real puppet master is the United States. Which is what Russia has been doing over talks with Biden. Which is ringing alarm bells in Berlin. Germans have become accustomed to think of themselves as important in European affairs, and that Russia should be dealing with them. So Germany is now worried about being sidelined, which is why Olof Scholz wants to deal directly with Russia.
• Potentially Germany does have leverage. It’s been deferring to the Atlanticist forces for too long, seeing Russia as the perpetual aggressor. But it does have some leverage over Ukraine. It could stop economic support for Ukraine, for example. Germany is the one power that has influence over Russia in Crimea. Merkel never did anything controversial that would have put her position at risk.
• The Greens are hungry for power and won’t like this at all. Baerbock must be furious. Relations with Russia are very important and she’s been sidelined. The Greens could pull the whole coalition down on this issue, but German polling shows support for easing tensions with Russia. Even Green voters tend to support completion of Nord Stream 2, so the Greens may have trouble pulling this apart. But they’ll bide their time.
• The new coalition govt is riddled with contradictions, so it may have trouble surviving anyway, but at this moment, despite the Greens being very angry, there’s probably not much they can do about this.

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German Chancellor Scholz wants ‘fresh start’ with Putin. Green Party Baerbock sidelined

THE DURAN

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