Germany and Other Nations Discuss Peace Negotiations to End Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Ukraine is currently at the center of global attention as Germany and other countries discuss how to initiate peace negotiations to end the Russian invasion. According to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, discussions on this topic will be conducted discreetly and may involve several countries, including Ukraine.

The Ukrainian press has 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 the 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. Despite this, 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. The German Social Democrats have been working to counter French militaristic tendencies towards Russia, with Scholz rejecting proposals to send troops to Ukraine or supply long-range missiles. However, Germany has made efforts to prevent further escalation of the conflict and emphasize the importance of finding a path to end the war peacefully.

Recently, there have been reports of German mediation efforts to prevent a Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine in late 2022. German authorities enlisted Chinese President Xi Jinping to urge Putin against resorting to nuclear weapons, which reportedly halted the threat. These developments underscore