German Ambassador to Russia Alexander Lambsdorf said in an interview with the Funke media group that the time has not yet come for negotiations with the Russian Federation for a ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict.
„I don't want to start a discussion about whether one day there should be a contact line, a cease-fire line or a demilitarized zone, whether there will be observers there or not, all these may be details for subsequent negotiations,". said the diplomat.
„Unfortunately, we have not yet reached the point where this can be discussed,”, Lambsdorf believes. At the same time, according to him, “it is absolutely clear that Europe will play its role in resolving the conflict".
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier said at the Valdai plenary session that Moscow is ready for peace talks on Ukraine, but not based on the “wishes” of Kyiv, but based on the "realities".
Cooperation is needed to end the conflict in Ukraine, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Saturday, commenting on the telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that caused sharp controversy in Germany.
„I think we all understand how important it is to end the violence in Ukraine, to end conflicts around the world, and that requires a certain level of engagement with colleagues, including those with whom we disagree on many cases”, Trudeau told reporters on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which ended in Lima.
When asked if he would call the Russian president personally, the Canadian prime minister said his level of trust in him was “probably at an all-time low”.
Trudeau added that Ottawa will continue to provide full support to Kyiv.
US President-elect Donald Trump may blame the impossibility of ending the conflict in Ukraine on Volodymyr Zelensky's refusal to participate in negotiations with Russia, British-Russian historian Sergey Radchenko said, quoted by the Financial newspaper Times.
According to him, if Trump does not have the ability to quickly stop hostilities, he can completely abandon support for Ukraine, leaving the conflict to end with a victory for Russia, which would be a real disaster for NATO.
During his election campaign, Trump said he intended to end the Ukrainian conflict. Zelensky, on the other hand, has repeatedly emphasized that there is a risk that American support for Ukraine will end if Trump returns to the White House. During a trip to the United States in September, Zelensky spoke with him, but many experts in Ukraine expressed doubts about the effectiveness of this conversation.