Contents tagged with Germany

  • German Finance Minister: Putin fears European democratic model

    German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, stated that the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is afraid of the European social and democratic model and therefore is trying to separate EU member States.

    He stated on the 3rd of March, in London, that Russian President Vladimir Putin is afraid of the European democratic model thus, Europe has to resist his attempts to separate EU member states. According to Schäuble, the Russian Government is not concerned about the extension of the European …

  • Merkel urges German businesses to 'show patience' with regard to sanctions against Russia

    Angela Merkel emphasized that sanctions may be lifted only after the Minsk Agreements have been fully implemented. German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged businesses to demonstrate patience towards the lifting of sanctions against Russia. On February 23rd, speaking at the annual Economic Council of the Christian Democratic Union in Stralsund, Merkel acknowledged that business, to a certain extent, has been adversely affected by sanctions. The Chancellor emphasized that they may be lifted only …

  • German Foreign Minister: Ukraine needs a zero tolerance policy on corruption

    On the 23rd of February, at the talks in Kiev, the Foreign Ministers of Germany and France called on the Ukrainian authorities to uproot corruption and to adopt electoral law in the regions of the Donbas controlled by separatists as soon as possible.

    “It is necessary to push ahead with the implementation of economic reforms. However, it is extremely important that this policy is based on a zero tolerance for corruption,” the Foreign Minister of France, Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated during the …

  • French and German Foreign Ministers visit Kiev

    On the 22nd of February, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Germany and France, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Jean-Marc Ayrault, who arrived in Berlin on the same day, flew from the German capital for a two-day visit to Kiev. 

    They flew on board a German governmental plane immediately after a brief meeting and press conference in the departure lounge of the government terminal at the Tegel airport. The negotiating agenda was more than full.

    Firstly, the Special Representative of the OSCE in …

  • Russia sees 25 percent decrease in trade with Germany

    The trade volume between Russia and Germany fell by 25 percent in 2015. This is evident from the survey of the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (GRCC), published on Friday, February 19. German exports to Russia fell by 25.5 percent.

    At the same time, the number of companies with German capital in Russia decreased in 2015 from 6,000 to 5,600. According to a survey conducted by the GRCC, only 16 percent of the companies said their position on the market was good or very good. More than 75 …

  • German Intelligence investigates methods of Russian propaganda

    The German intelligence service, BND, is checking whether Russia is using the old KGB methods in order to weaken the position of Angela Merkel. The investigation is being conducted on behalf of the German government.BND and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, on behalf of the German government, are investigating whether Russia has resorted to the methods of the Soviet KGB, aiming to influence political debate and public opinion in Germany. The investigation is about the …

  • The Deputy of the German Bundestag: Kiev has to realize how dangerous the situation is

    The Deputy of the German Bundestag, Roderich Kiesewetter, has criticized the actions of the Ukrainian government in an interview with Deutsche Welle.  He has also called on the representatives of the authorities to realize the severity of the situation that the country is currently in.

    According to Kiesewetter, who is also a member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, there are fears that the Russian Federation will continue to take actions to destabilize the situation in Ukraine.  …

  • Berlin's Prosecutor's Office investigates Russian journalist

    Berlin prosecutors began a preliminary investigation into Ivan Blagy, a correspondent for Russia’s First Channel. This was reported to DW on the 7th of February by German lawyer, Martin Luithle. Luithle’s application for verifying the legitimacy of one of Blagy’s stories formed the basis of a criminal case.

    The story in question is about the alleged kidnapping and rape of a 13-year-old Russian-speaking young girl known as Lisa F. These alleged crimes occurred in Berlin and were reportedly …

  • Poroshenko Seeks Supply of Military Equipment from Germany

    In an interview with the German newspaper Bild, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for increasing the supply of German military equipment to Ukraine.

    "We are open to this possibility and we support this because it concerns the security situation in Europe," the President said, answering the question of whether Ukraine needs more weapons from Germany.

    Poroshenko, however, did not specify whether he seeks lethal or non-lethal equipment, but he did note that a resolution to the conflict …

  • Bavarian Minister-President visits Moscow to 'restore normal relations' with Russia

    At a reception held by Russian President Valdimir Putin, Bavarian Minister-President Horst Seehofer said that he would make an effort to restore normal relations with Russia.  He had previously stated that the Bavarian economy is suffering due to sanctions placed against Russia.

    Seehofer is also the head of the Christian Social Union party (CSU).  He viewed his visit to Moscow as a step towards achieving these normal relations with Russia.  “We wholeheartedly wish to contribute to the …