St. Petersburg Dialogue is considered crucial and significant by Pofalla.
Berlin - Amidst the ongoing Navalny crisis, the head of the Petersburg Dialogue, Ronald Pofalla (CDU), has emphasized the necessity of maintaining dialogue with Moscow to prevent a rupture. In a conversation with "Bild am Sonntag," Pofalla stated, "The German-Russian relationship is currently enduring one of its severest crises." He added that despite the need for further pressure on Russia, severing all ties would not be beneficial.
Pofalla is of the opinion that imposing additional sanctions may be appropriate if Russia fails to clarify its position on the matter. However, he contends that altogether breaking off communication with Russian civil society would only worsen the situation. According to Pofalla, "The interaction with Russian civil society is significant, and they are not to be held responsible for the attempted assassination of Alexei Navalny."
Pofalla refrained from joining the criticism leveled against former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) for his position on the supervisory board of Nord Stream 2. Instead, he defended Schröder, stating, "Gerhard Schröder is a wise man. I have no advice to give him, especially not in public."
With Germany advocating for Navalny'srelease and an investigation into his treatment, relations between the two nations have become strained. The Petersburg Dialogue, a forum for German-Russian civil society, business, politics, and culture, has experienced complications due to these strained relations. While the CDU has long supported dialogue with Russia, it has become increasingly critical in light of human rights violations and international law infringements. However, Pofalla has not made specific recent remarks about the Petersburg Dialogue's future under the current circumstances.
As the CDU has remained critical of Russia's actions within the Navalny crisis while advocating for responsible dialogue, investors and observers alike will continue to closely monitor Pofalla's subsequent statements and actions.
During the conversation with "Bild am Sonntag," Pofalla, a CDU representative and head of the Petersburg Dialogue, advocated for dialogue with Russia despite the ongoing Navalny crisis. He suggested that isolating Russia through breaking off communication with its civil society would worsen the situation, instead, he proposed that interaction with Russian civil society remains significant, and they should not be held responsible for Navalny's predicament. Furthermore, he highlighted the necessity of the German-Russian relationship dealing with policy-and-legislation matters, reflecting the importance of politics and general-news discourse between the two nations.
