Name? Olaf Scholz
Westphalian identity? German
Age? 63
Why is he in the news? Today, German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, travels to Ukraine, where he is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky before flying to Moscow. Recently, Scholz has taken a harder rhetorical stance, asserting that Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be respected, otherwise, it will lead to “tough sanctions” against Russia.
Why do we care? Scholz’s trip, following the travel route of French President Macron last week, takes place after a weekend of intensifying US rhetoric. Friday evening Western leaders were assembled by Biden who warned that Russia could now invade Ukraine at any moment, but at the same time, he could not provide any new evidence for his claims. What a way to up the ante before Scholz visits Putin.
Why should you care? Scholz’s trip to Ukraine and Russia is just one of the many diplomatic efforts to calm tensions. Even though his trip is not perceived as a game changer, he and his allies hope for some progress. Though Putin remains clear on his opposition to a Ukraine entry into NATO, President Zelensky has doubled down on his desire to join the treaty. So you should only care 3/10 about the prospects of Scholz’s trip.
Who else cares? Russian President Vladimir Putin. After Scholz, there are not many important Western leaders left who could meet with Putin. Soon, one of the sides needs to make a move towards the other and lose face, otherwise, only escalation is left. Especially for Putin time is running out, one can only keep the image of threat up for so long before it becomes empty.
Any further comments? Don’t expect Scholz to be bold and brash with Putin during this trip. Just as Macron, Scholz is keen on making Europe a respected player in geopolitics and not just the US’ puppy. For both Macron and Scholz, the Normandy format remains key to resolving any Russian-Ukrainian issues.
