Tabnak – German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Russia today for talks on major issues, including the crisis in Ukraine and Syria. At the same time, the presidents of Russia and the US are supposed to have phone conversation about – probably – the same issues. Now the question is that whether this new diplomatic activism could help the Syrian situation move into a kind of internationally-agreed solution.
Merkel arrived in the resort city of Sochi on the Black Sea on Tuesday for a one-day visit, where she later met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The key visit, Merkel’s first to Russia in two years, would mainly focus on the conflict in eastern Ukraine and the violence in Syria that has gripped the country since March 2011.
CNN reported earlier today that the issue of sanctions would likely be high on the agenda. Merkel has openly backed the European Union's decision to place sanctions on Russia following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. She has been the lead mediator in talks with Russia over Crimea.
The sanctions are due to expire this summer and the EU is discussing their extension. Moscow has responded to the sanctions with its own embargo on agricultural goods from Western countries.
It should be noted that the official purpose of Merkel’s Russia visit is to discuss the G20 summit of world leaders to be held in Hamburg in July. This is now the only forum for Russia to meet other powers, after its exclusion from the G8 (now the G7) over Crimea.
According to BBC, Merkel wants Russia to seek an end to the conflict in Ukraine by using its influence on pro-Russian separatists, and also needs Moscow's co-operation to reach a peace deal in Syria.
However, this is not the only diplomatic initiative today in which Russia is part of the story. In fact, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will speak by phone later on Tuesday, RIA news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.
According to a Reuters report, a senior Trump administration official said the two leaders would likely discuss the civil war in Syria. This is while last month's American attack on a Syrian government airbase strained relations between Washington and Moscow.
In a report of the issue, Sky News believes that the phone call between Trump and Putin will offer the chance to repair recent damage to diplomatic relations. It will be the third time the two world leaders have spoken since Trump became US president.
However, it is yet to be seen that whether this new wave of diplomatic contacts between Russia and the West could have any real impact on the situation on the ground in Syria and could help the various sides take a step toward politically solving the conflict.
