Germany is currently engaged in discussions with several countries, including Ukraine, to initiate peace negotiations and end the Russian invasion, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In an interview with the newspaper Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung on Thursday, Scholz did not specify which governments were involved in these talks but mentioned that they would be conducted discreetly. He noted that there are a number of countries, including Ukraine, who are discussing how a peace process could be carried out at the level of defense advisors.

The Ukrainian press reacted strongly to Scholz’s comments, particularly following his previous statements in February revealing the presence of British and French soldiers operating long-range missiles in Ukraine. The official stance of the Ukrainian Presidency is that there is no direct contact with Russia and that the only viable path to peace is through President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 10-point peace proposal, which includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territory within Ukraine.

The United States and European powers have been working towards finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine. They maintain that Ukraine should determine the terms and conditions for negotiations to end the war. Scholz emphasized that the most straightforward way to end the war would be for Russian President Vladimir Putin to order the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. However, he also acknowledged that negotiations have taken place between Ukraine and Russia with international mediators present, leading to agreements on issues like prisoner exchanges and security measures.

Germany has been working to counter French militaristic tendencies towards Russia by rejecting proposals to send troops or supply long-range missiles to Ukraine. Despite this, Germany remains a key military ally to Ukraine and has provided significant support since the conflict began. Scholz has made efforts to prevent further escalation of the conflict and emphasizes the importance of finding a peaceful resolution through diplomatic means.

Recent reports suggest that Germany may be engaged in mediation efforts to prevent a Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine in late 2022. German authorities enlisted Chinese President Xi Jinping to urge Putin against using nuclear weapons, which reportedly halted any threat of an attack.

Overall, these developments underscore