Germany’s foreign minister has questioned Vladimir Putin’s sincerity in negotiating peace at a time when US envoy Steve Witkoff is negotiating in Moscow. Wadephul said on Tuesday that the Kremlin chief is constantly inventing new reasons to avoid the deal.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Tuesday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of repeatedly making “excuses” to avoid peace talks with Ukraine. His words cast doubt on the possible results of Tuesday’s meeting between Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, writes TASR according to the DPA agency.
Wadephul’s doubts
“Vladimir Putin is always looking for new excuses why he doesn’t want to negotiate,” Wadephul declared during a meeting with Egyptian business partner Badr Abdelatty in Berlin.
“That’s why I still have doubts if he’s really ready to talk about peace at all,” Wadephul added.
US Ambassador Witkoff is scheduled to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine with the Russian leader in Moscow on Tuesday. The fact that these negotiations are taking place at all indicates Russia’s interest “again in finding out if a solution is possible,” Wadephul said.
Wadephul thanked the US
On Tuesday, the German minister thanked the administration of US President Donald Trump for its efforts to end this conflict, which, according to him, includes the aforementioned meeting in Moscow on Tuesday.
Wadephul revealed that he spoke on the phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday. Both agreed that “it’s time for a ceasefire” and emphasized support for Kyiv. According to Wadephul, they also discussed that the end of the war must lead to lasting peace and security in Ukraine as well as in the rest of Europe.
