A German riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma
In 1939 Winston Churchill famously remarked that he cannot forecast the actions of Russia: “It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” The same could be said of Germany’s Ostpolitik, which has left observers puzzled and perplexed in recent years. Previously and often simplistically explained by the catchwords “energy” and “business”, Germany’s role in the Ukraine conflict has seemingly defied all prior assumptions about Germany’s special relationship with Russia and its purely geo-economic interests.
February 26, 2018 -
Liana Fix
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AnalysisIssue 2 2018Magazine

The current prospect of a third grand coalition government in Germany would seem to suggest a continuation of Angela Merkel’s principled pragmatist approach towards Russia. Photo: Tobias Koch /OTRS (CC) commons.wikimedia.org