Kremlin Says German Army Discussing Strikes on Russia, Asks if Scholz Is in Control 

A German national flag is set on the car of the Ambassador of Germany to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, outside the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow, Russia March 4, 2024. (Reuters)
A German national flag is set on the car of the Ambassador of Germany to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, outside the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow, Russia March 4, 2024. (Reuters)
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Kremlin Says German Army Discussing Strikes on Russia, Asks if Scholz Is in Control 

A German national flag is set on the car of the Ambassador of Germany to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, outside the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow, Russia March 4, 2024. (Reuters)
A German national flag is set on the car of the Ambassador of Germany to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, outside the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow, Russia March 4, 2024. (Reuters)

The Kremlin said on Monday a purported recording of German military discussions showed Germany's armed forces were discussing plans to launch strikes on Russian territory, and questioned whether Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in control of the situation.

Russian media last week published an audio recording of what they said was a meeting of senior German military officials discussing weapons for Ukraine and a potential strike by Kyiv on a bridge in Crimea, prompting Russian officials to demand an explanation.

"The recording itself says that within the Bundeswehr, plans to launch strikes on Russian territory are being discussed substantively and concretely. This does not require any legal interpretation. Everything here is more than obvious," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Germany says it is investigating the recording. Russia has summoned Germany's ambassador to demand an explanation.

"Here we have to find out whether the Bundeswehr is doing this on its own initiative. Then the question is: how controllable is the Bundeswehr and how much does Scholz control the situation? Or is it part of German government policy?" Peskov said.

"Both (scenarios) are very bad. Both once again emphasize the direct involvement of the countries of the collective West in the conflict around Ukraine."

Germany is among the NATO countries that have supplied weaponry to Ukraine including tanks. Russia accuses what it calls the "collective West" of using Ukraine to wage a proxy war against it; NATO says it is helping Kyiv to defend itself against a war of aggression.



Grossi Wants to Meet with Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘at Earliest Convenience’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
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Grossi Wants to Meet with Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘at Earliest Convenience’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi announced he intends to visit Tehran through a letter he addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iranian Mehr Agency reported that Grossi sent a congratulatory message to the Iranian president-elect, which stated: “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on your election win as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“Cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been at the focal attention of the international circles for many years. I am confident that, together, we will be able to make decisive progress on this crucial matter.”

“To that effect, I wish to express my readiness to travel to Iran to meet with you at the earliest convenience,” Iran’s Mehr news agency quoted Grossi as saying.

The meeting – should it take place - will be the first for Pezeshkian, who had pledged during his election campaign to be open to the West to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue.

Last week, American and Israeli officials told the Axios news site that Washington sent a secret warning to Tehran last month regarding its fears of Iranian research and development activities that might be used to produce nuclear weapons.

In May, Grossi expressed his dissatisfaction with the course of the talks he held over two days in Iran in an effort to resolve outstanding matters.

Since the death of the former Iranian president, Ibrahim Raisi, the IAEA chief refrained from raising the Iranian nuclear file, while European sources said that Tehran had asked to “freeze discussions” until the internal situation was arranged and a new president was elected.