Per edited: Bi Luming
According to CCTV News on the 5th, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy signed an order to form a security negotiation delegation, and at present, the Russian side has not yet released the news of the formation of a delegation on the issue of security negotiations. On April 4, local time, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the possibility of successful Russian-Ukrainian negotiations will always exist. Zelenskiy stressed that dialogue is the prerequisite for ending the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and believes that Ukraine will definitely achieve peace.
It is important to note that while the European Union is preparing additional sanctions against Russia, members are engaged in infighting. The Polish leader publicly named German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the 4th, accusing Germany of protecting Russia because of its own economic interests, which is the "biggest roadblock" to Russia's additional sanctions.
Image source: CCTV News
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy signed the order
According to CCTV News on the 5th, on April 4, local time, the Ukrainian presidential website released a message that Ukrainian President Zelenskiy signed an order to set up a delegation to negotiate with Russia on security and security issues, headed by Alahamiya, chairman of the parliamentary group of the Ukrainian People's Servant Party.
At present, the Russian side has not released the news of the formation of a delegation on the negotiation of security guarantees.
Image source: Xinhua News Agency
Lavrov: The possibility of successful Russian-Ukrainian negotiations is always there
According to CCTV News on the 5th, the fifth round of Russian-Ukrainian face-to-face negotiations ended in Turkey on March 29, and Russia and Ukraine continued to negotiate by video. On April 4, local time, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are quite intensive, the possibility of successful Russian-Ukrainian negotiations will always exist, and Russia hopes that the Ukrainian side can be guided by the interests of its own country and people, rather than listening to the opinions of advisers from other countries. Once the negotiations between the two sides bear fruit, it is likely that a summit of the leaders of Russia and Ukraine will be convened to consolidate this achievement.
Also on the 4th, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said that the longer Russia delays the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, the worse the situation will be for Russia. Zelenskiy stressed that dialogue is the prerequisite for ending the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and believes that Ukraine will definitely achieve peace.
Since the beginning of Russia's military operations against Ukraine, Russia has held several rounds of negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation. On March 29, the fifth round of face-to-face negotiations between Russia and Ukraine ended in Turkey, and the negotiations made some positive progress. Since April 1, the russian and Ukrainian sides have continued to negotiate by video.
The Polish leader was dissatisfied with Germany's attitude toward Russia
According to CCTV News on the 5th, since Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24, the United States and many Western countries have successively announced sanctions against Russia, involving many fields. Although Germany has also joined in, it has refused to impose an energy embargo on Russia.
This has sparked resentment among Poland, which is also a member of the European Union. Polish Prime Minister Matteusz Morawiecki said at a press conference on the 4th that the EU is discussing the expansion of sanctions against Russia, but Germany is the "biggest roadblock" in front. He called on Scholz to change his position and take a tougher stance toward Russia.
According to him, German leaders and politicians should listen to the voices of Ukrainians at this stage, not just the voices of German companies opposing sanctions.
Moravitsky also pointed to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who stepped down late last year, criticizing the latter for remaining silent since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In his view, it is the policies that Germany has implemented in the last 10 years or so that has led Russia to strengthen its strength by exporting raw materials.
A day earlier, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Law and Justice Party (PKR) Yaroslav Kaczyński had said the same thing in an interview with German media.
Kaczynski blamed not only Germany, but also France for its "eccentricity" toward Russia. "Germany, like France, has a strong preference for Russia," he said. ”
In response to the Polish leader's claims, the German side has not yet responded directly. However, a number of senior German officials reiterated their opposition to the implementation of an energy embargo on Russia on the 3rd.
Lars Klingbayer, the leader of the Social Democratic Party to which Scholz belongs, said on the evening of the 3rd: "An immediate embargo on natural gas would be the wrong path, and there are many reasons behind this. ”
German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy and Climate Protection Robert Habeck said in an interview with German TV Station II on the 3rd that Germany is reducing its dependence on Russian energy, but it is impossible to get rid of it completely immediately.
Among the EU member states, Germany is the largest buyer of Russian energy. According to the German media, Germany has been dependent on Russian energy for decades, and it will not be easy to get rid of this dependence. Before the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, about 50 percent of the fossil fuels consumed by Germany came from Russia, 35 percent of its oil and 55 percent of its natural gas.
Oliver Krisher, an official of the German Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection, said on the 4th that the immediate cessation of imports of Russian natural gas will have a more serious impact on the German economy than on Russia.
Latvia does not rule out the possibility of buying Russian gas in rubles
According to CCTV News on the 5th, on April 4, local time, Latvian Gas Company issued a statement saying that the possibility of purchasing Russian natural gas in rubles was not ruled out.
Latvian Gas said in a statement that "buying Russian gas in Russian rubles does not violate Latvia's sanctions policy against Russia, so this move is feasible." "At the moment, the corporate side is evaluating from a legal and commercial perspective.
Previously, Slovakia's Economy Minister Sulik had announced on the 3rd that Slovakia agreed to use rubles to pay for natural gas purchased from Russia. He said Russian gas accounted for about 85 percent of Slovakia's gas imports, so it was necessary for Slovakia to "maintain a pragmatic approach" to gas trade.
About 40% of the gas needed by the EU is currently imported from Russia, and most of it is settled in euros. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on March 23 that Russia will switch to rubles when supplying natural gas to "unfriendly" countries and regions such as EU member states, and on March 31, the Russian central bank announced the establishment of a special account system for natural gas settlement with foreign buyers.
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