Joint U.S.-European support for Ukraine will push Putin toward negotiations – Wadephul

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said this in an interview with Spiegel, according to Ukrinform.

"The more consistent the West is in its approach to Moscow, the more likely it is that Vladimir Putin will agree to negotiations. This means we must not ease our military support — we must continue assisting Kyiv," Wadephul said. "Europeans are determined, but our efforts will be far more effective if we coordinate closely with the United States. If we succeed in doing that, Putin will very quickly be ready to talk."

When asked whether he would be willing to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Wadephul noted that in his position, "it's advisable not to rule out talks with anyone."

Regarding concerns that Russia's war against Ukraine could be overshadowed by the Israel-Iran conflict, the German foreign minister acknowledged that it is indeed "a concern," but stressed, "We are not forgetting about Ukraine."

Meanwhile, the head of Ukraine operations at the German Defense Ministry, Major General Christian Freuding, stated in a televised interview that he sees "no direct military connection" between the conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. Although Russia received significant support from Iran in the early years of the war — primarily in the form of drones — it now produces such systems domestically in large numbers and is no longer dependent on the Islamic Republic. Furthermore, he said, there are no political consequences arising from the Iran-Russia relationship, as their existing mutual security agreement does not include provisions for military assistance.

Freuding also stressed the importance of continuing — and, if possible, increasing — military support for Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated earlier that it has been 100 days since Russia rejected a U.S. proposal for a complete ceasefire. He stated that it is now time to take action and compel Moscow toward peace.

During U.S.-Ukrainian talks held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in March, the two sides agreed to develop measures for implementing the commitments made by Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, particularly the ban on strikes against energy infrastructure in Russia and Ukraine.

Photo: dpa