German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is flying to Washington this week on a mission to reassure Americans that his country stands alongside the United States and other NATO partners in opposing any Russian aggression against Ukraine. 9News
Mr Scholz has said that Moscow would pay a "high price" in the event of an attack, but his government's refusal to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, bolster its troop presence in eastern Europe or spell out which sanctions it would support against Russia has drawn criticism abroad and at home.
Publicly, German officials insist their country is doing its part. Germany's ambassador in Washington, Emily Haber, appeared on Fox News last month to defend Berlin's restrictive stance on arms exports and highlight the generous economic support provided to Ukraine. In a move likely to embarrass Mr Scholz ahead of his first trip to Washington, the Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom announced Friday that Mr Schroeder — who has accused Ukraine of "sabre-rattling" in its standoff with Russia — has been nominated to join its board of directors.Support for Nord Stream 2 goes beyond Mr Schroeder, however.
"Biden has taken some real risks, including on the the issue of the German-Russian gas pipeline," said Jeff Rathke, president of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies.Having succeeded long-time German leader Angela Merkel last year, Mr Scholz also needs to appease doubters at home who accuse him of pulling a diplomatic vanishing act compared to his European counterparts.
Kyiv has since asked Germany for more military hardware, including medium-range and portable anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as ammunition, putting Berlin in an awkward position.
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