Support The Moscow Times!

Germany's Merkel to Discuss Ukraine Crisis With Putin in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will discuss the crisis in Ukraine at talks in Moscow on Sunday, a Kremlin aide said Wednesday.

Merkel will not attend a military parade on Red Square on Saturday commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. The event is being shunned by Western leaders angered by Russia's role in the conflict in Ukraine.

But she will be in Moscow for events on Sunday marking the victory over Nazi Germany and will hold a news conference with Putin, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said.

Merkel and French President Francois Hollande helped broker a cease-fire between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine on Feb. 12 but it has been violated many times.

"Naturally the situation in Ukraine will be among the main topics of the talks with the German chancellor," Ushakov told reporters, adding that both leaders wanted an end to violence.

Twenty-seven heads of state or government will attend the military parade and Putin has talks scheduled with many of them, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Cuban leader Raul Castro, he said.

Ushakov gave few details of the planned talks but said China may provide around 300 billion rubles ($6 billion) in financing for a railway link between Moscow and the Russian city of Kazan.

Military and energy cooperation will also be discussed during the talks with Xi, he said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more