Ischinger: Diplomatic path is possible, but only with pressure on Russia

Wolfgang Ischinger, a prominent German diplomat and longtime chairman of the Munich Security Conference, shared this view in an interview with Ukrinform.

"A diplomatic pathway is possible, but it requires sustained pressure on Russia. Demonstrating to Putin that his objectives cannot be achieved on the battlefield is essential to creating the conditions for serious diplomacy and a move away from maximalist goals," Ischinger said.

For this reason, Europe should continue strengthening its support for Ukraine – both militarily, financially, and economically – while maintaining pressure on Russia's war machinery through more effective sanctions enforcement and by considering the use of frozen Russian assets to assist Ukraine. Putin is unlikely to engage in serious negotiations unless he is convinced that his objectives in Ukraine cannot be achieved militarily, the diplomat said.

He considers it crucial that the United States, Europe, and Ukraine develop a common position that can be jointly presented to Russia.

"Establishing a permanent contact group for Ukraine could play an important role in ensuring coordination and coherence throughout this process," Ischinger said.

The diplomat added that any future peace agreement must also include credible safeguards to prevent renewed aggression. If NATO membership is not politically feasible in the short term, alternative measures should be explored – such as robust security guarantees, an international peacekeeping presence capable of deterring future attacks, or a "porcupine strategy" that ensures Ukraine is sufficiently armed to make any renewed aggression prohibitively costly.

Ischinger stressed that the current contact line should serve as the basis for any future peace plan. Granting Russia additional territorial concessions or formally recognizing its annexations of Ukrainian land would encourage further aggression, he added.

On Sunday and Monday, talks in various formats were held in Berlin to develop a peace plan for Ukraine. On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosted the leaders of Ukraine and several European countries, as well as the heads of the EU and NATO and special envoys of the U.S. president.