Ukraine peace talks, set to continue in Berlin, “have never been as serious as they are now,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told radio station Deutschlandfunk.
He described the efforts involving Ukrainian and US officials, as well as Kiev’s European allies, as “substanstial,” but added it would only become clear “at the end of the week” whether the outcome would be “successful.”
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“However, in this historic situation, it is of course worth every effort to finally put an end to this terrible dying and bring this war to an end,” Germany’s top diplomat stressed.
One major question mark was the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin and whether he was “serious” about ending the invasion launched by Moscow nearly four years ago, Wadephul noted.
Russia is not involved in the negotiations in Berlin and has made clear it is ready to continue the war unless its maximalist demands are met, including territorial concessions by Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Berlin on Sunday to discuss his latest proposals regarding a US peace plan that aims to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who leads the US delegation, said progress was made on a “20-point plan for peace,” with discussions set to continue in Berlin, which will also see a number of European leaders gather in the German capital.
Wadephul stressed the importance of finding a sustainable solution to the conflict that is not “perceived as an insult or humiliation in Ukraine, otherwise it would be unacceptable.”
Putin must be deterred from attacking again, he added.
“And that’s ambitious, and that’s challenging, it’s not exactly easy.”
