Baku Chats: SPD and CDU Bigwigs Huddled with Putin's Pals
SPD and CDU politicians conference with Putin's trusted associates
Get the Scoop On Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Email Print Copy Link In the hidden corridors of Baku, German power players hobnobbed with Kremlin kingpins, a media exposé by ARD's Kontraste and Die Zeit unveiled.
Sources claim a German delegation, comprising SPD MP Ralf Stegner, former CDU big shot Ronald Pofalla, ex-Brandenburg SPD Prime Minister Matthias Platzeck, ex-NRW CDU EU Minister Stephan Holthoff-Pförtner, and Martin Hoffmann, long-time head honcho of the Petersburg Dialog, met with Russian heavyweights in mid-April.**
On the Russian side, names like former Russian PM and current Gazprom Supervisory Board Chairman Viktor Zubkov, and Chairman of the Russian Human Rights Council, Valery Fadeyev, who's on the EU sanctions list, were allegedly present.**
Grain of Salt Is the Sky Falling? According to reports, this wasn't a one-time affair; at least three such gatherings have transpired since April 2024. These hush-hush huddles, rumored to revolve around the revival of the Petersburg Dialog, a controversial dialogue format between Germany and Russia initially kickstarted in 2001, were officially suspended in 2022 due to Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine.
"Did He Swipe Right with a Russian Hacker?"
The Baku bee-line has stirred quite the hornet's nest in the German political sphere, with the spotlight squarely on Stegner, who once chaired the parliamentary control committee for intelligence services. CDU MP Roderich Kiesewetter raised the heat, demanding answers from the SPD politico, "It's unacceptable that we're hotly debating the national security policy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the capabilities of our spies, and meanwhile, we're serving as chess pieces in Moscow's discussion sessions. Did he bring a burner phone? How did he keep himself safe?"
SWP Russia expert Sabine Fischer asserts that these meetings jeopardize the firm sanctions policy towards Russia. The Russians' ostensible goal, she believes, is to establish covert channels of influence within German politics.
Defending the Indefensible I Did Not Come Here to Apologize In a joint press release, Stegner, Pofalla, Platzeck, and Holthoff-Pförtner spoke up, defending their encounter with Russian bigwigs in Baku. According to them, maintaining dialogue with stakeholders across the globe, including Russia, is a cornerstone of prudent foreign policy, especially amid escalating tensions, conflicts, and wars.
They further stated that these chats were confidential however, and had no relation to secretive backroom deals. Government agencies and politically responsible parties were aware of these conversations, but the government reps neither sanctioned, prepared, nor backed the meetups. Reportedly, then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz was informed about the dialogue attempts.**
[1] Beneath the Surface Oil and Gas Adventures It's worth noting that Baku, Azerbaijan, has been a significant stage for energy negotiations, primarily centring on gas and energy security. Such clandestine exchanges might revolve around geopolitical strategies, energy cooperation, or diplomatic maneuvers, but without concrete evidence, it remains speculative to pinpoint the precise objective or weight of these whispered confabs. The interactions between European political factions and Russian allies could be part of broader political maneuvers or strategic deliberations, particularly in regions like Azerbaijan, which serves as an essential energy partner for both Europe and Russia. Further context or data would be needed to shed more light on the matter.**
- The community policy on engaging with politically controversial dialogue formats, such as the Petersburg Dialog, should be re-evaluated in light of recent news about under-the-table meetings with Russian figures.
- Lobbyists, reportedly linked to the CDU party, have been active in WhatsApp chats with Russian officials, potentially influencing employment policy and Germany's general news stance on war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation, particularly those concerning Russia.
- Employment policy decisions, including the selection of government representatives for international meetings, should be more transparent to avoid the appearance of serving as pawns in foreign politics, as seen in the Baku Chats incidents.
- The general news media should investigate and report on the allegations of covert channels of influence between Russian allies and German political factions, particularly in regions of strategic importance like Azerbaijan, which plays a crucial role in energy negotiations.
- The employment policy within political parties, such as the CDU and SPD, should ensure that their representatives are aware of and abide by the community policy on national security, particularly when engaging with foreign entities in situations like the Baku Chats.
