Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz calls for more intensive diplomatic efforts to end the Russian War of aggression in Ukraine “I believe that this is the moment when we need to discuss how we can emerge from this war situation and achieve peace more quickly than currently seems possible,” said the SPD politician in a summer interview with ZDF.
When asked whether there should be another peace conference, he replied: “There will definitely be another peace conference. And the (Ukrainian) president and I agree that it must be one with Russia involved.”
Scholz avoided the question of whether he still trusted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj after it became known that a Ukrainian was involved in the sabotage of the Nord Stream Pipelines in the Baltic Sea. “I have a good relationship with Volodymyr Selenskyj,” said the Chancellor. “And at the same time it is completely clear to me that this matter must be cleared up.” He was glad that the Federal Prosecutor General and the security authorities had come as far in their investigations as had been reported.
Ukraine is trying to get its own peace plan approved by the international community. At the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland in June, numerous countries already agreed to this plan, but Russia is not involved in these negotiations. The peace plan from Kiev provides for the withdrawal of Russian troops from all regions of Ukraine, including Crimea. In addition, Russia is to agree to reparations payments. Finally, all those responsible for the war in Moscow – politicians and military alike – are to answer to an international court. (dpa)
