For 25 years, Warsaw and Berlin have shared a ride in the same car, often on rocky and bumpy roads, but mostly agreeing on the route. Since Law and Justice (PiS) took power, Chancellor Angela Merkel has observed the developments from a distance, rarely speaking out, unlike many other European Union officials. Over the past 14 months of PiS’s rule, however, some advancements took on an extreme character, and the Polish-German car seemed to have hit an icy patch with the breaks failing. Chancellor Merkel seems to agree that a longer stay in a garage should be prevented, and paid Poland a flying visit on Tuesday last week.

A relationship that used to be characterised by the 1969-invoked “change through rapprochement” and “partnership on eye-level”, has seen a rapid cooling over the course of the last two years. Germany and Russia used to be close partners with vibrant exchange on the political, economic, social and cultural levels. Even when Russia’s relations with the rest of the West began to deteriorate in 2011/2012, following the untransparent presidential election, the German government was seen as a connector and mediator. However, since the annexation of Crimea and the war in Eastern Ukraine, the German political elite also distanced itself from president Putin and became a strong advocate of sanctions. At the same time, Germany has always been in favour of dialogue and remained at the discussion table, which helped to facilitate reaching the Minsk II agreement.

This piece originally appeared in Issue 6/2016 of New Eastern Europe. Subscribe now.