German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Her visit — the first to Russia since May 2018 — comes as Iran admitted accidentally shooting down a Ukrainian passenger plane shortly after its takeoff from Tehran, killing 176 passengers and crew.
Iran and Libya are expected to be the main points of discussion between the leaders, as Putin has strong influence in both countries.
The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned of an escalation of violence in Libya earlier this week after a meeting of EU foreign ministers, especially in light of a recent airstrike on a military school.
Putin met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call for a ceasefire in Libya where a crisis has been ongoing since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 led to the death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
‘Responsible politician’
This latest escalation is one of the “key reasons” for the Merkel-Putin meeting, confirmed German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
European leaders are also working to salvage the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal to which Russia is also a signatory.
“In the eyes of Merkel, Putin is a person who has direct contacts with the Iranian leadership and can somehow influence their decisions. Against the background of Trump, he looks like a responsible politician,” said Russian political analyst Aleksandr Golts.
Speaking ahead of their meeting and an anticipated news conference, Merkel said there was “a lot to discuss.”
Addressing Putin, she said: “I’d like to thank you that we have such an opportunity, because to talk to each other is always better than to talk about each other.”
