Scholz Unveils Secretive Peace Talks for Ukraine, Amid Controversial Comments on French and British Troops

Germany has been at the forefront of efforts to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz has made it clear that peace negotiations are being discussed among several countries. While he did not specify which governments were involved, he stated that discussions would be conducted discreetly.

Scholz’s comments come after controversy over his remarks about British and French soldiers operating long-range missiles in Ukraine earlier this year. The Ukrainian Presidency’s official position is that there is no direct contact with Russia and that negotiations are only possible if Moscow withdraws its troops from the 25% of Ukraine’s territory it occupies illegally.

The United States and European powers, led by Germany and France, have been calling for Ukraine to determine the terms for ending the conflict. Scholz noted that the simplest way to halt the war would be for Russian President Vladimir Putin to order his army to leave Ukraine. He also mentioned that both sides have previously negotiated on various issues with international mediators, such as prisoner exchanges and security at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

In recent years, Germany has been sending messages to counter French aggression towards Russia, despite firm opposition from Chancellor Scholz to French President Emmanuel Macron’s idea of sending troops to Ukraine and supplying long-range missiles to Kyiv. Despite this, Germany remains Ukraine’s second-largest military ally after the United States. Scholz has emphasized his commitment to preventing a war between NATO and Russia and stated that he will do everything possible in this regard.

Scholz also made headlines recently for mediating to prevent a Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine at the end of 2022. According to Rolf Mützenich of the SPD, Chancellor Scholz asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to communicate with Putin about atomic weapons never being used. Xi reportedly intervened with Putin and deterred the threat, highlighting the complex diplomatic efforts being made to address ongoing conflicts in Europe.

Overall, peace negotiations remain a top priority for many countries involved in the conflict in Ukraine, including Germany, France, Italy, China, Japan and other nations who have expressed their support towards Ukrainian sovereignty.