Berlin and Kremlin Envoys to Meet over Ukraine, Says Source

A Russian service member drives a MT-LB multi-purpose amphibious armoured carrier during military drills at the Kadamovsky range in the Rostov region, Russia December 20, 2021. (Reuters)
A Russian service member drives a MT-LB multi-purpose amphibious armoured carrier during military drills at the Kadamovsky range in the Rostov region, Russia December 20, 2021. (Reuters)
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Berlin and Kremlin Envoys to Meet over Ukraine, Says Source

A Russian service member drives a MT-LB multi-purpose amphibious armoured carrier during military drills at the Kadamovsky range in the Rostov region, Russia December 20, 2021. (Reuters)
A Russian service member drives a MT-LB multi-purpose amphibious armoured carrier during military drills at the Kadamovsky range in the Rostov region, Russia December 20, 2021. (Reuters)

Senior German and Russian government officials have agreed to a rare in-person meeting next month in an effort to ease political tensions over Ukraine, a German government source said on Saturday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's foreign policy adviser Jens Ploetner and Russia's Ukraine negotiator Dmitry Kozak agreed to meet after a lengthy phone conversation on Thursday, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The German government has not made any official comment. A spokesman for Kozak declined to comment.

There have been a flurry of phone calls between western leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent months over Russia's military build-up on the Ukrainian border and resulting fears of an invasion.

In-person meetings between senior Western and Russian government officials have been few and far between, though US President Joe Biden held talks with President Putin in Geneva last June.

Since taking office this month, Scholz has emphasized the need for dialogue with Russia over its military build-up on the Ukrainian border while joining western allies in backing sanctions should Moscow invade.

Berlin doubts more than Washington whether Russia actually wants to attack Ukraine and is keen to de-escalate tensions, two government sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Critics accuse Germany of being beholden to Putin because of its need for Russian gas, attacking construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between the countries, bypassing Ukraine. Berlin says Nordstream 2 is not political and would be only one of several pipelines transporting Russian gas to Europe.

"The German side's goal remains to achieve a swift reactivation of the Normandy format," the German government source said, referring to multilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany.

SPD parliamentary leader Rolf Mutzenich told Reuters the party was not "naive" and knew who it was dealing with, adding that it still believes that engagement could help to de-escalate the Ukraine situation.



Russian Attack on Ukraine’s Poltava Region Injures Nine, Causes Power Cuts

 A US-made M113 armored personnel carrier runs on a road in the Donetsk region, on June 16, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
A US-made M113 armored personnel carrier runs on a road in the Donetsk region, on June 16, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
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Russian Attack on Ukraine’s Poltava Region Injures Nine, Causes Power Cuts

 A US-made M113 armored personnel carrier runs on a road in the Donetsk region, on June 16, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
A US-made M113 armored personnel carrier runs on a road in the Donetsk region, on June 16, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

A Russian missile attack on Ukraine's east-central Poltava region on Monday injured nine people and damaged power lines, knocking out electricity for over 55,000 consumers, a regional governor said.

According to preliminary information, there were no fatalities, Filip Pronin said in a video address from the site posted on the Telegram app.

Several high-rise buildings were damaged, he said. Smoke rising from damaged garages could be seen in the background, while rescuers attempted to extinguish fires.

Pronin said later that due to damage to power lines, some 53,000 private and 2,400 industrial consumers faced power cuts. Earlier, Ukraine's air force announced a missile alert for the region.