The recent insistence by German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the European Union (EU) should have a face-to-face summit meeting with President Putin has raised questions as to whether the main EU nations – Germany and France – are softening their stance towards Russia. If so, what would that mean for both Brussels and Moscow? In this interview Professor Bhaswati Sarkar, Centre of European Studies, JNU tells Ashwin Ahmad that France and Germany’s stance is nothing new. On France’s side, President Macron has made continued visits to Russia even during the pandemic while Germany conscious of its economic interests has constantly made sure to include Moscow and  Beijing in its foreign policy calculus. On Russia’s side, Professor Sarkar points out that while Moscow would certainly want an easing of sanctions, Putin, unlike former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, is no Europhile. He believes that trade and other matters with Brussels can only be taken forward through mutual respect and lack of interference in its internal affairs. This is something the EU will not be able to comply with ensuring that the relations ‘reset’ desired by both German and France will continue to be an issue that will divide an already fractured EU.

Podcast Producer - Manas R. Tarai