Summer shift: new German Ambassador to Russia will take office in July

The future head of the German diplomatic mission in Moscow, Clemens von Goetze, will start work in July, the German Embassy in Russia told Izvestia. Previously, he was the German ambassador to China, Israel and Mexico and is known as a specialist in crisis communication. However, experts believe that changing the ambassador will not lead to an improvement in relations between Moscow and Berlin. Germany has become one of the main sponsors of Ukraine and has joined the camp of countries opposed to dialogue with the Russian Federation.

Who will become the new German Ambassador to Russia

The Russian Federation has issued an agreman (consent to the appointment) to the new German ambassador to Russia, Clemens von Goetze, the German diplomatic mission told Izvestia.

— Mr. von Goetze will assume the post of ambassador in Moscow, presumably in July. The agreman of the Russian side has been received," they said.

It became known in February that Berlin was changing its ambassador to Russia. Der Spiegel magazine then reported that the current head of the diplomatic mission, Alexander Graf Lambsdorf, would travel to Israel as part of a planned rotation. He has held his position in Russia since June 2023 and was perceived as a political heavyweight who openly broadcasts Berlin's position. However, relations between Russia and Germany are now at their lowest point since the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the blame for this lies precisely with Berlin, as the Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stressed.

The future German ambassador to Moscow, Clemens von Goetze, is known as an experienced diplomat: he headed the German diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv, Beijing, Tokyo and Mexico City. Von Goetze is described as a proponent of non-public diplomacy, who knows how to establish relations in a crisis. In this regard, some analysts attribute his appointment to Berlin's attempt to restore communication with Moscow. Earlier, Izvestia reported that Germany had resumed contacts with Russia at the technical level.

The German ambassador to Moscow can bring a certain nuance to Berlin's approaches to Russian-German relations, softening or, conversely, aggravating certain steps and statements, Artem Sokolov, senior researcher at the MGIMO Institute of International Studies at the Russian Foreign Ministry, explained to Izvestia.

"But we should not forget that the ambassador cannot act fully independently, he is the leader of his country's foreign policy, and in this sense, one should not expect much from the new ambassador," the expert emphasized.

Alexander Rahr, a political scientist and chairman of the Eurasian Society, is confident that changing the ambassador will not lead to an improvement in relations between Moscow and Berlin. The policy towards Russia in Germany is determined by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Vadefuhl. They are firmly committed to the militarization of Europe, preparations for a possible war with Russia, and full support for Ukraine and the Armed Forces, he told Izvestia.

Potential and action: Russia will respond to the nuclear alliance of Germany and France

Moscow may increase the number of targets to hit in Europe

Can Berlin lead the negotiations between Russia and the EU

In May, the EU began discussing again whether Brussels should enter into direct negotiations with Russia. Even the head of the European diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, a hardliner against the Russian Federation, does not deny the need for dialogue. According to Politico, Callas nevertheless refused the role of a negotiator with Moscow from the EU, since her anti-Russian position could alienate Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that he considers former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to be the preferred candidate for the role of EU negotiator. Friedrich Merz then rejected this idea, specifying that the European Union would decide who would represent it. The European media names another former German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, among the candidates. However, she had already participated in the creation of the 2015 Minsk Agreements, and later wrote in her memoirs that the document was only an attempt to "give Ukraine time" to rearm. In addition, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi are being considered as possible negotiators, Politico reported, citing sources.

Germany's role in the EU's negotiations with Russia is important for two reasons. Firstly, Germany is the economic locomotive of Europe, which has a great influence on the decision—making process in the EU. In particular, the current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was previously the Minister of Defense of Germany. Without Germany's consent, Brussels will not be able to restore dialogue with Russia.

Secondly, Berlin is one of the main donors to Ukraine, and the share of German aid has increased even more after the reduction of American support. Berlin is currently betting on large-scale provision of long-range drones to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechaev told Izvestia earlier. Thus, Germany has real leverage over Ukraine to encourage it to return to negotiations with Moscow.

According to Alexander Rahr, Germany has abandoned the role of mediator in relations between the West and Russia. Berlin has now adopted the critical foreign policy line of the Scandinavian, Baltic and Polish countries towards Moscow. These states, we recall, insist on continuing pressure on Russia and on increasing aid to Ukraine.

After World War II, Germany assumed the role of a "bridge" in relations between the USSR and then Russia and the West. The foundation for Germany's rapprochement with the socialist bloc was laid in the 1970s by Chancellor Willy Brandt in his "Eastern Policy". Then Germany lobbied for Russia's inclusion in the Group of Seven, and also developed an energy dialogue with Moscow. Despite strong economic ties and a trusting partnership, the German leadership decided to bet on Russia's strategic defeat. And the longer Berlin supplies Kiev with weapons, the less likely it is to restore the previous level of relations.