A Study On The Role Of Germany In Solving The Ukrainian Crisis

The Ukrainian domestic political conflicts occurring in the end of 2013 and the Crimea independence referendum which had been absorbed in Russia on March 2014 led to the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the fierce geopolitical contest between Europe and the US as one side and Russia as opposite, and the Russia-Germany relation which had almost been reduced to the freezing point in the post-Cold War era. The security and stability of Europe was suffering a severe challenge.As the great economic power in Europe, the leader of the European Union, and Russia’s most important trade partner, Germany has played a decisive role in the Ukrainian crisis. After the Crimea was absorbed into Russia, Germany weakened the special relationship with Russia and took a tough stance to it because of its European responsibility and position. In order to reach a political consensus and form a unification in the economic sanction against Russia, He convinced other EU member together with France.Germany definitely played a leading role in solving the Ukrainian crisis and this caused the attention of the international community to the transformation of Germany’s foreign policy. Germany’s grand coalition has started gradually adjusting their foreign policy from "restraint diplomacy" strategy to "active diplomacy", and thus playing a more confirmed, confident role in shaping the international order and the global affairs. During the process of solving Ukrainian crisis, Germany played as a " leader " on the one hand, on the other hand he attached great importance to the cooperation with France so as to a consistency in the EU’s policy against Russia. On the one hand Germany strongly opposed Russia’s absorbing Crimea and acted strictly sanction to it, on the other hand he proposed to have dialogues with Russia.On the one hand he took responsibility of the " burden sharing " strategy from its Atlantic alliance America, on the other hand he objected America’s solving the Ukrainian problem by force.Ukrainian crisis has tested the German foreign policy’s adjustment, and it must be moving on toward this direction.But at the same time, the shift of German foreign policy must be gradual, and it will continue need to keep itself in the EU’s framework to work as a and pushing the EU to become a powerful global role.