The German government has allowed for the possibility of negotiations between Scholz and Putin to end the war in Ukraine

The German government has indicated the possibility of negotiations between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing the need to end the war in Ukraine “as soon as possible.”

This stance was articulated by German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit.

“Scholz will not hesitate to hold a phone conversation with the Russian president if he deems the moment appropriate for discussing peace,” Hebestreit stated. “There is a global sense that this war needs to end as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov outlined Russia’s condition for starting peace talks, emphasizing the need to include “human rights” in the agenda.

“If we’re talking about calls to cease fire or territorial exchanges, that’s not serious. The issue is not about territory but about human rights that have been trampled legislatively,” Lavrov said.

He added that no current political initiatives address these issues. Lavrov further supported China’s peace plan, stating that it focuses on addressing the root causes of the conflict, which he believes is key to resolving it.

Lavrov also expressed skepticism about the West’s intentions, claiming that Western countries are not genuinely interested in negotiating over Ukraine but aim to achieve a strategic defeat of Russia. He dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace formula, saying the Kremlin has never taken it seriously.

It’s worth noting that recent Western media reports suggested that Chancellor Scholz is preparing a peace plan that would allow Russia to retain control over the territories it has occupied in Ukraine. According to these reports, Scholz’s motivation is his desire to go down in history as a “chancellor of peace” and avoid a potential resignation.

However, Scholz has not officially confirmed the existence of such a plan. Yesterday, he remarked that “the moment has come to discuss how we can more quickly exit this military situation and achieve peace.”