A window of opportunity could open for Russia and Germany to rebuild contacts once Friedrich Merz steps down as German chancellor, but only if Berlin revises its official position, according to Artem Sokolov, a senior research fellow at the Institute for International Studies at MGIMO. Sokolov made the comment in an interview with Lenta.ru.
Sokolov said Germany's current stance under Merz stems partly from his commitment to transatlantic formats, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and from his critical attitude toward Russia. He added that the difficulty of changing Merz's views has shaped Berlin's foreign policy course.
What a change in leadership could mean
Sokolov said that if this factor departs along with Merz, a certain window of opportunity would open for adjusting Berlin's approach to Ukraine.
However, he said Merz's successor as chancellor would not fundamentally overhaul the approach to dealing with Moscow. Sokolov said that, at an initial stage, Berlin might agree to establish a format for communication with official Russian representatives, but that this would represent the maximum possible shift in its position toward Russia.
Merz's earlier comments
Merz previously commented on a secret meeting between Russian and German representatives in Baku aimed at settling the conflict in Ukraine, which Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had mentioned. Merz said Europe was ready for talks with Russia over Ukraine, while placing responsibility for the absence of a negotiating process on Moscow.
