“The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is an ideal place for clandestine meetings of diplomats from Germany and Russia. Citizens of both countries can get there without any problems. They are guaranteed discretion in a desert country,” writes “Die Zeit”.
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Where did the meeting of politicians from Germany and Russia take place?
Who attended the meeting in Abu Dhabi?
What topics could be discussed during the meeting?
Will Mikhail Shvydkoy come to Germany?
As the editorial team learned, on the first weekend of November, a delegation of Putin's trusted people rented rooms in the luxurious Bab al-Qasr hotel on the Persian Gulf for a secret meeting with former German politicians and lobbyists.
Secret meeting of politicians from Germany and Russia. Was it about the “Petersburg Dialogue”?
According to “Die Zeit” this was at least the fourth meeting between the Germans and the Russians. Previously, the meetings were held in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. Present in Abu Dhabi were the former head of the chancellor's office (when Angela Merkel was chancellor), Ronald Pofalla from the CDU and the president of the German-Russian Forum, Martin Hoffmann, as well as probably the former head of the SPD, Matthias Platzek.
On the Russian side, the head of Gazprom's supervisory board, Viktor Zubkov, and Putin's plenipotentiary for human rights, Valery Fadeev, took part. Fadeev, as the editorial team pointed out, is banned from entering the EU due to war propaganda. At the last minute, Putin's plenipotentiary for culture, Mikhail Shvydkoy, canceled his participation.
According to “Die Zeit”, the topic of talks between “old friends” is the revival of the “Petersburg Dialogue” – the format of German-Russian talks initiated in 2001 by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Putin. Merkel canceled the “Petersburg Dialogue” in 2021 due to tensions between Berlin and Moscow.
There will be further meetings
“Die Zeit” writes that during the meeting in Abu Dhabi, the German side informed about Pofalla and Hoffmann's trip to Moscow in early December. Moreover, Mikhail Shvydkoi's visit to Germany will be possible. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul apparently consented to his arrival.
“It would be the first visit of a representative of the Russian government since the outbreak of the war against Ukraine four years ago and a political triumph for the Kremlin,” said Die Zeit.
The newspaper noted that Shvydkoy is not on the list of people banned from entering Germany and has maintained close contacts with Germany for years. During the years of détente he was a frequent visitor to Germany. He is a fan of Thomas Mann's work and a “friendly face of the Kremlin”. “He is interested in music and theater, but the reason for visiting Germany is probably not the desire to see the ballet “Swan Lake” performed by the Berlin State Ballet,” the editors ironically say.
