'It's important that Trump listens": German Foreign Minister on EU's stance toward Ukraine
Photo: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful (RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
After meeting with his European counterparts, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that the EU is acting jointly and preparing to influence the decisions of Washington and Moscow regarding Ukraine, The Guardian reports.
According to Wadephul, a series of online meetings will be held on Wednesday at the initiative of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The participants will include the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, and Finland, as well as the NATO Secretary General, senior EU officials, US President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"It's important that Trump listens to the European voice, and it is good that Germany is making it heard," Wadephul noted.
German Foreign Minister added that the united position of European countries gives them weight on the world stage.
Wadephul emphasized that Europeans insist on a ceasefire before the start of any negotiations on Ukraine's future.
German Foreign Minister called Friday's summit "a beginning" of discussions on the conditions for peace talks.
"The mere fact Ukraine is now willing to discuss the status quo is already a concession because Russia is occupying Ukrainian territory in violation of international law," Wadephul explained.
German Foreign Minister also stressed that the decision on Ukraine's fate must be made exclusively by Kyiv.
Wadephul acknowledged the possibility of concessions by Ukraine in a future peace deal but emphasized that, for now, the focus is on creating "fair conditions for these negotiations."
In the German Foreign Minister's view, Ukraine's future is closely tied to European security, so EU leaders will not stand aside while the issue is being resolved without them.
Trump-Putin meeting
Recently, US President Donald Trump announced that he will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15.
Trump also spoke of the possibility of a "territory swap" between Ukraine and Russia, including the return of certain lands.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reminded that the territorial issue is explained in the Constitution and that Ukraine will not give its land to Russia. Zelenskyy also stressed that the Russian side is pushing the idea of such a "swap" without any guarantees.
