Recommendations for Chancellor Scholz’s Visit to Moscow
Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Moscow next week to meet Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, shortly after France’s President Emmanuel Macron had a go at lowering the temperature. The best bet for Scholz is to keep his ambitions moderate and avoid making news.
RUSSIA CRISIS POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
Expand AllRecommendation One
Scholz should go with one main message, the missive often repeated during his recent DC visit: Europe and the United States are in sync on Ukraine. Macron’s pursuit of a channel of dialogue does not mean that this is an opening for driving a wedge into Western unity. Scholz’s visit needs to make this clear.
Recommendation Two
Stick unwaveringly to the line that the cost of an invasion will be incredibly high for Russia. Make it clear, at least to Putin if not in public, that in case of an invasion there is no way to save the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Recommendation Three
Underscore that there can still be an off-ramp. This could start in the known formats of Normandy, Minsk, or the NATO-Russia Council.