Ukrainian crisis: hope of de-escalation is profiled after intense diplomatic exchanges

“Today, there are real chances” to avoid a war between Moscow and Kiev, welcomed the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmyro Kuleba, for whom the situation remains “tense, but under control “.

Le Monde with AFP

The climate remains tense, but the hope of avoiding a war between Russia and Ukraine has increased, Wednesday, February 9, after the intense diplomatic activity in recent days. “Today, there are real chances of” de-escalation, welcomed the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmyro Kuleba, for whom the situation remains “tense, but under control”.

The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, also made optimism, greeting the “progress” born from the recovery of intense diplomatic exchanges between Moscow and the Westerners. “The mission is to ensure security in Europe and I think we will succeed,” he said.

The French Presidency also welcomed the fact that the tour of Emmanuel Macron in Moscow, Kiev and Berlin reached his “goal” by allowing “to advance” to appease the situation. It is now a question of “allowing everyone to pause and consider the means of de-escalation (…) in a moment of increasing tensions” at the border between Russia and Ukraine, according to the same source.

“There have been positive signals as to the decision of Ukraine to act solely on the basis of Minsk’s agreements, it is a plus,” the Kremlin spokesman on his side, Dmitri Peskov, referring to the agreements signed in 2014 and 2015 by Kiev and the Prerussian separatists under the auspices of Paris, Berlin and Moscow, who aimed to end the conflict in the east of Ukraine. “But we did not hear President Zelensky say that he was ready to take care of it quickly,” he continued.

After a long face-to-face with Vladimir Putin Monday, Emmanuel Macron had assured that he had received wages from the Russian president so that there is no “climb” additional.

Olaf Scholz on a wire

Russia is preparing to receive the leader of British diplomacy, Liz Truss, for a two-day trip. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson should go to Poland, where the United Kingdom intends to deploy additional soldiers.

It is in this context that Olaf Scholz increases its involvement, in response to criticism in recent weeks on its discretion and a supposed complacency with regard to Moscow. After welcoming the head of the Danish Government, Frederiksen, the successor of Angela Merkel will receive Thursday the leaders of the Baltic countries, neighbors of a Russia who worried. Despite the announcement of the sending of 350 German soldiers more in Lithuania as part of a NATO mission, the reluctance of Berlin to the delivery by the Estonia of German weapons in Kiev have created tvations.

m. Scholz moves on a thread, between the expectations of its Western partners and the dependence of its country with Russian gas. Germany’s gas reserves have fallen at a “disturbing” level, the government announced on Wednesday.

Organ point of this diplomatic activity: the very awaited visit of Olaf Scholz to Vladimir Putin, on February 15, the first since his election to the Chancery, early December. The shadow of the North Stream 2 pipeline, which connects Russia to Germany and is not yet certified, continues to plan on relations between the two countries.

However, an unknown remains as to Mr. Putin’s real intentions, who has said Monday tens of thousands of Russian soldiers deployed at the frontiers of Ukraine.

/Media reports.