Ukraine needs military aid, not mediators in negotiations – German expert

The simulation of a negotiation process around Ukraine in its 2025 form has effectively ended, as U.S. President Donald Trump has shifted attention to other issues. The only factor that could force Russian leader Vladimir Putin to enter genuine negotiations is increased military assistance to Kyiv.

A German military expert and former adviser at the German Ministry of Defense, Nico Lange, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"This process, this 'negotiation theatre' of 2025, is over. There is nothing to expect. […] Nothing has come out of all these meetings. I think we no longer need this," Lange said.

He stressed that it is unnecessary to repeatedly hear from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff calls for Ukraine to cede Donbas. According to the expert, even the U.S. president, after resolving issues in the Middle East, is more likely to "move toward Cuba than toward Ukraine."

Lange added that a mediator in relations between Ukraine and Russia is not needed at all, as there is currently no basis for an agreement. He said Putin's idea of a European mediator is merely a way to mock Europe and to find someone who would come to Ukraine and, like Witkoff, call for handing over Donbas or surrendering.

"All of this only distracts from the main issue. […] The problem is that we must force Putin to stop. And that is only possible through military support for Ukraine," he said.

As previously reported, recent days have seen active discussion about appointing an EU mediator for peace negotiations. Several names of current and former European politicians have been mentioned. Putin himself referred to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, whose candidacy was immediately rejected in Kyiv and Brussels.