Scholz believes diplomatic end to war in Ukraine ‘impossible’ today
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Photo:Michele Tantussi/Reuters)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine is currently impossible, and the actions of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin are moving the parties farther away from a dialog, German newspaper RND wrote on Nov. 12.
“We all want this war to end and peace to become possible,” the German chancellor said at a conference in Leipzig.
“But in this murderous war, which we are currently experiencing, Putin’s military actions stand in the way of everything that previously brought negotiations closer.”
Scholz also said he was against there being a ceasefire on Russian terms.
“First of all, Russia must understand that the idea of peace based on dictatorship will led nowhere and you cannot simply draw a marker over the map of the area and say that it is now mine,” the chancellor said.
“So there will be no dictatorial peace, there must be a different understanding.”
Scholz added that he himself is “working tirelessly along with many others” to ensure that Russia understands this as a basis for successful peace talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has enacted a decision of the National Security Council banning negotiations with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The President's Office said that Kyiv will enter into negotiations with Moscow only when the Russian leader changes.
Subsequently, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine will be able to find a format for dialogue with Russia if the Russians withdraw all their troops from the occupied Ukrainian territories and admit that they “made a terrible mistake.”
In recent comments, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that Ukraine’s success in possible negotiations with Russia will depend on Kyiv’s strength on the battlefield.
It was also recently reported that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has been privately asking the Ukrainian leadership to show openness to negotiations with Russia.
However, the Biden administration clarified that the sole purpose for such openness is for Ukraine to retain support of other countries.
On Nov. 7, Zelenskyy named five conditions under which negotiations are possible:
restoration of territorial integrity;
respect for the UN Charter;
compensation for all damages caused by the war;
punishment of every war criminal;
guarantees that the invasion will not be repeated.
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