Competing Ties Force Germany to Mediate in Ukraine

On Nov. 18, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier traveled to Kiev and Moscow in an effort to mediate a de-escalation of hostilities in eastern Ukraine. He met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Steinmeier's visits come days after German officials confirmed that one of the country's diplomats in Moscow was expelled in retaliation for Germany's expulsion of a Russian diplomat from the consulate in Bonn, reportedly on the grounds that the official was involved in espionage. 

Despite the expulsions, Germany's goal is to maintain its ties with Russia, avoid more significant EU sanctions on the Russian economy and ensure that a cease-fire is maintained in eastern Ukraine. While German leaders will continue taking calculated steps to censure the Kremlin, as long as Russian-backed separatists do not significantly expand the territories under their control, Germany will avoid taking concrete measures that would further harm its commercial and political relationship with Russia.