Zelensky and Merkel in phone call discuss Donbass, gas, investment

President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor
Angela Merkel spoke by telephone on July 17. UNIAN new agency reports that the
President and the Chancellor spoke about the situation in Donbass and in
particular the completion of the de-militarization of Stanytsia Luhanska, as
well as the release by Russia of Ukrainian political prisoners. The two leaders
also spoke about ensuring Russian gas transit via Ukraine and German-Ukrainian
investment projects. The call comes after a July 12 meeting in Paris by foreign
policy advisers in relation to the Normandy Four process.

James Hydzik: The conversation is an integral part of Zelensky’s on-the-job
training; there’s no substitute for it. With the end of what could be termed a
“honeymoon period” coming to a close with Sunday’s parliamentary elections, not
only will President Zelensky have to face the consequences of his decisions and
those of his (soon-to-be) ruling party, he will also begin the five years of
regular contact with and synchronization with his counterparts that comes with
being the head of state. While some political neophytes navigate this stream of
communication well, recent examples elsewhere in the word are a painful
reminder that this is not a given even with the help of experienced advisers, and
that missteps are hard to correct.