BERLIN, Jan 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to
Moscow Saturday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid
escalating tensions following a US drone strike that killed an Iranian
general, a German government spokesman said.
Merkel, who will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, will
discuss “the current conflict troublespots” with Putin, including the Iran
and Iraq crisis following the US assassination in Baghdad, as well as the
conflict in Syria and unrest in Libya, Steffen Seibert said Monday.
Separately, NATO ambassadors will meet at their BRUSSELS headquarters as Middle East tensions mount after US forces killed a top Iranian general.
“The North Atlantic Council will address the situation in the region,” a
NATO official said.
“The secretary general decided to convene the meeting of NATO ambassadors following consultations with allies.”
Last week’s killing of Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike at Baghdad
airport surprised many of Washington’s allies and triggered calls for de-
escalation.
But Tehran has vowed to avenge the commander, and US President Donald Trump has threatened “major retaliation” if any American targets are hit.
The situation has also deteriorated in Iraq, where lawmakers have called
for the 5,200 US soldiers deployed there to leave.
NATO maintains a training mission in Iraq, preparing local forces to take
on Daesh group, but this would be in doubt if coalition forces pull out.
On Saturday, a NATO spokesman said the mission, which involves several
hundred allied personnel, was continuing “but training activities are
currently suspended.”
He also confirmed that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had spoken by telephone with US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper since Friday’s strike. — NNN-AGENCIES
