Gathering in Baku: A Rendezvous of SPD and CDU Politicians with Putin's Allies
SPD and CDU politicians confer with Putin's associates
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In the heart of April, political heavyweights and influential figures from Germany paid a visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, to have a chunky chat with Moscow's representatives. And now, after the cat's out of the bag, the German crowd is on the defensive, spitting out explanations to quell the criticism.
ARD's Kontraste and Die Zeit broke the news about the secret rendezvous that took place between the 13th and 14th of April. The crew from Germany included SPD MP Ralf Stegner, former Federal Chancellery chief Ronald Pofalla (CDU), former SPD Minister-President of Brandenburg Matthias Platzeck, former CDU Europe Minister in NRW Stephan Holthoff-Pförtner, and long-time CEO of the Petersburg Dialog, Martin Hoffmann. The Russian side was graced by former Russian Prime Minister and current Gazprom Supervisory Board Chairman Viktor Zubkov, and Chairman of the Russian Human Rights Council, Valery Fadeyev, who was placed on the EU sanctions list for spreading propaganda and disinformation.
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This isn't the first, second, or even the third meeting between the two sides since April 2024. The talks primarily focused on the revival of the Petersburg Dialog - a controversial format between Germany and Russia, hatched in 2001 by then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to facilitate business and strengthen relations, which was suspended in 2022 following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"Did He Travel with a Dual Sim?"
The revelation of the Baku meetings stirred up quite a row in Berlin's political circus, with Ralf Stegner, the SPD politician at the center of it all, catching flak. CDU MP Roderich Kiesewetter demanded answers from Stegner. "It's not cool that we intensively discuss the national security of the Federal Republic of Germany and the capabilities of our services, while simultaneously becoming props in Russian discussion events. Did he travel with a dual SIM? How did he safeguard himself?"
Expert on Russian affairs Sabine Fischer from the SWP argued that the meeting could be seen as a move to undermine the hard sanctions policy against Russia, as the Russians attempted to carve out channels of influence in German politics.
Stegner, Pofalla, Platzeck, and Holthoff-Pförtner issued a joint statement to defend their secret sessions with Russian representatives in Baku. "Dialogue with folks from all corners of the world, including Russia, is an essential part of slick diplomacy, especially during increasingly tense times, conflicts, and wars." The statement, obtained by Süddeutsche Zeitung, continued, "These conversations are confidential, but not clandestine. We held no secret negotiations that neither of us was mandated for, and no government agencies were involved in any way."
Politically responsible parties were privy to the conversations, but government representatives neither initiated nor prepared or supported the talks. According to information from the SZ, the then Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz was kept in the loop about the conversation efforts.
- The secret get-together between SPD and CDU politicians with Putin's allies in Baku has sparked a flurry of discussions on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and email.
- The CDU's Roderich Kiesewetter has demanded answers from Ralf Stegner, the SPD politician at the forefront of the controversy, about his use of a dual SIM card during the Baku meetings and how he ensured his own security.
- Sabine Fischer, an expert on Russian affairs from the SWP, believes the Baku meetings could be an attempt by the Russians to weaken Germany's hard sanctions policy against Russia by establishing channels of influence within German politics.
- In a joint statement, Stegner, Pofalla, Platzeck, and Holthoff-Pförtner defended their secret sessions with Russian representatives, stating that diplomacy involves engaging with individuals from all over the world, including Russia, especially during times of conflict and war.
- According to information obtained by Süddeutsche Zeitung, the then Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz was kept informed about the conversation efforts regarding the Baku meetings.
