Andreas Rinke

BERLIN, (Reuters) – Senior Russian and German government officials agreed to a rare personal meeting next month in order to alleviate political tensions regarding Ukraine. A source in the German government said this on Saturday.

Jens Ploetner, Russia’s Ukraine negotiator and foreign policy advisor to the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, agreed to meet on Thursday after lengthy telephone conversations. The source spoke under condition of anonymity.

German officials have yet to make any comment. Kozak’s spokesperson declined to comment.

In recent months, there has been an explosion of calls between Vladimir Putin and western leaders over Russia’s militarization of the Ukrainian border. This raises fears about an invasion and has prompted a lot of telephone conversations.

Although meetings in-person between top Western and Russian officials are rare, President Joe Biden did hold talks with President Putin at Geneva last June.

Scholz, who took office in this month’s beginning month, has stressed the importance of dialogue with Russia regarding its military buildup at the Ukrainian border. He also joined western allies to support sanctions should Moscow invade.

Two government sources spoke to Reuters under anonymity to say that Berlin is more skeptical than Washington about Russia’s intentions to strike Ukraine.

Critics charge Germany with being dependent upon Putin due to its dependence on Russian gas. This accusation is based on the attack against Nord Stream 2 between Ukraine and Germany. Berlin insists Nordstream 2 does not have a political purpose and is only one of the many pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe.

According to a German government source, “The German side is determined to quickly reactivate the Normandy structure” referring to multilateral talks among France, Russia, Germany, and France.

Rolf Mutzenich, the SPD parliamentary leader, told Reuters that the party wasn’t “naive” in knowing who it was dealing. He also said that the party believes engagement can help de-escalate tensions in Ukraine.