BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel’s emergence as a leader in efforts to resolve Ukraine’s crisis — showcased by a visit to Kiev this weekend — underlines Germany’s increasing ambition to transform itself from economic power to diplomatic heavyweight.
Merkel and her foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, have put Berlin at the forefront of so-far frustrating diplomatic efforts, as many European nations focus on domestic troubles and the U.S. is engaged in crises elsewhere.
Merkel’s visit to Kiev on Saturday, her first since the Ukraine crisis erupted late last year, reflects Berlin’s desire to show support for President Petro Poroshenko’s government in the …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
