She is due to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky just two days after holding talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow ahead of her departure from office next month. But she has also been unwavering in pushing across the finish line a controversial Russian gas pipeline to Europe despite fierce opposition from Ukraine, the United States and several European countries. Since the fighting broke out, Merkel has been one of the loudest voices accusing the Kremlin of backing the separatists, which Moscow denies. And she played a crucial role in clinching the Minsk peace accords in 2015, which helped halt the fiercest clashes. “With Merkel’s departure, the foundation of the Minsk agreements will become even more fragile,” Kiev-based political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko toldAFP.

Source: The Local August 22, 2021 09:00 UTC