Germany in Quiet Peace Talks with Russia: Chancellor’s Call for Discretion Amid Ongoing Conflict

Germany is currently in talks with several countries, including Ukraine, to initiate peace negotiations and end the Russian invasion, as stated by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an interview with the newspaper Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung on Thursday. Scholz did not specify which governments were involved in these discussions, but mentioned that they would take place discreetly. He noted that “there are a series of countries, including Ukraine, who are discussing at the level of defense advisors how a peace process could be carried out.”

The Ukrainian press reacted strongly to Scholz’s comments, particularly following his previous statements in February revealing the presence of British and French soldiers operating long-range missiles in Ukraine. The official stance of the Ukrainian Presidency is that there is no direct contact with Russia, and the only viable path to peace is through President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 10-point peace proposal, which includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territory within Ukraine.

The United States and European powers, led by Germany and France, maintain that Ukraine should determine the terms and conditions for negotiations to end the conflict. Scholz emphasized that the most straightforward way to end the war would be for Russian President Vladimir Putin to order the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. However, Scholz acknowledged that negotiations have taken place between Ukraine and Russia with the assistance of international mediators, leading to agreements on issues like prisoner exchanges and security measures.

Germany remains a key military ally to Ukraine, second only to the United States, in terms of support. German officials have made efforts to prevent further escalation of the conflict and emphasize finding a peaceful solution. Recent reports suggest that Germany has been working on mediation efforts to prevent a Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine in late 2022. German authorities enlisted Chinese President Xi Jinping to urge Putin against using nuclear weapons reportedly halted any threat.

Despite ongoing efforts by various countries including Germany, France and China among others to find a diplomatic solution to end this conflict it still seems far away as Russia continues its aggression towards its neighboring country.