German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says Russia’s rigid territorial demands risk prolonging the Ukraine war, stressing Europe must be part of any security deal.
RIGA: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has denounced Russia’s “stubborn insistence on the crucial territorial issue” following recent talks on ending the Ukraine war.
He made the remarks on Monday during a visit to Latvia, referencing negotiations between Russian, Ukrainian and US envoys in Abu Dhabi.
“What I am hearing and reading today, including from the negotiations in the United Arab Emirates, is only Russia’s stubborn insistence on the crucial territorial issue,” Wadephul said.
He warned that a lack of flexibility from Moscow could mean negotiations “may still take a long time or may not be successful at this stage”.
Wadephul welcomed the US-mediated talks but insisted Europe must be included in decisions about the continent’s security order.
He stressed that diplomacy would not come “at the expense of our determination to support Ukraine”.
Speaking alongside Latvia’s foreign minister, Wadephul called it “a decisive moment for the future of our European continent”.
“We will only see real peace negotiations if Russia understands that Europe stands united with Ukraine,” he said.
