Beer and flowers as Merkel and Putin start the big thaw
2018-05-19 07:29:16 source：The Times
May 19, 2018
Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin showed a renewed willingness to co-operate yesterday as they emphasised common challenges in response to President Trump’s America First policies.
Relations between Germany and Russia have been in the deep freeze since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 but the beginning of a thaw was evident at President Putin’s first bilateral meeting for a year with Mrs Merkel at the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Speaking at a joint press conference they defended the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline deal, which will double the amount of natural gas delivered from Russia to Germany and which has been subject to fierce US criticism. They also repeated their support for the Iran nuclear deal repudiated by Mr Trump.
Read more: