German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for Ukraine’s “sovereign independence” to be respected in future negotiations with Russia
Mr. Scholz launched a strong defence of Ukraine saying a peace deal to end the three-year Russian invasion cannot be imposed on Kyiv.
“There will only be peace if Ukraine’s sovereignty is secured,” he said on the second day of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
“A dictated peace will therefore never find our support,” added Scholz, in a rebuke to United States President Donald Trump who recently held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, without the participation of the Ukrainians.
The German leader, who faces a tough election at home next week, said Berlin will not accept “any solution” of the protracted conflict that only leads to a “decoupling” of European and US security.
“Only one person would benefit from this: President Putin,” he said.
His comments came as European leaders have been trying to make sense of a tough new line from the new US administration on Ukraine’s future.
Earlier this week, Trump announced he had held a phone call with Putin, during which the two leaders agreed to meet soon to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.
The American president and his top security and diplomatic officials also hinted that in order for the war to end Ukraine must accept most of Russia’s demands – including Kyiv giving up its Crimean territory taken by Moscow and abandoning its bid to join the NATO alliance.
Trump later assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he, too, would have a seat at the table for peace talks.
Zelenskyy said on Saturday it would be “dangerous” if Trump met Putin before meeting him, and that Ukraine would never accept any peace deals reached behind its back or without Kyiv’s involvement, in an implicit message to the US president as he strives to end the war with Russia.
