SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich has proposed an international contact group to initiate a peace initiative in the Ukraine war. “In my view, it is now time for the Western allies to initiate a contact group to start a process,” Mützenich told the “Rheinische Post”.
“The Federal Chancellor and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agree that now is a good time to intensify efforts for peace talks and that Russia should also be present at the next peace summit.” This also opens up the opportunity for other countries to become more involved in ending the fighting.
When asked about possible members of such a contact group, Mützenich said he saw countries such as China, India, Turkey and Brazil as having a responsibility. “In these states, the conviction is growing that the Russian war of aggression could become a burden.” Therefore, the work of a contact group could be “quite promising” and it could play an important mediating role.
Chancellor for peace conference with Russia
Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently called for stronger diplomatic efforts to end the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. “I believe that this is the moment when we must discuss how we can get out of this war situation and achieve peace more quickly than currently seems possible,” the SPD politician told ZDF.
When asked whether there should be another peace conference like the one in Switzerland in June, Scholz replied: “There will definitely be another peace conference. And the (Ukrainian) president and I agree that it must be one with Russia present.” A few days later, Scholz said in the Bundestag that the task now was: “To explore what is possible.”
Positions of Moscow and Kyiv are far apart
Russia was not invited to the Swiss conference, and China, Moscow’s most important ally, declined to attend. However, 80 of the 93 participating states decided in a final declaration that Russia should take part in a follow-up conference.
Ukraine and Russia’s ideas about a peace solution could hardly be more different. All of Moscow’s demands for an end to the war so far amount to Ukraine ceding territory and Russian control over the rest of Ukraine. For Ukraine, this would be tantamount to capitulation. It wants the Russian-occupied territories back in full, including Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.
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