As of: 02/08/2022 8:59 p.m
Germany, Poland and France agree: Europe must do everything possible to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict. To this end, the three states want to remain in dialogue with Russia. NATO and the USA should also do their part.
De-escalation, negotiation, solution – Chancellor Olaf Scholz described these three steps as the most important to secure peace in Europe and prevent a war with Russia. “The situation is extremely difficult,” said Poland’s President Andrzej Duda after meeting Scholz and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. But he is confident that there will be a solution.
Macron said he remains committed to dialogue with Russia to avoid the risk of escalation. The French President emphasized the importance of the unity of the Europeans and their allies. NATO and the USA would also have to do their part to find a solution.
In addition to the willingness to engage in dialogue, there were also words of warning. “Another violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty is unacceptable and would have far-reaching consequences for Russia,” said Scholz. This applies politically, economically and geostrategically. Duda also said there was no step backwards.
Joint efforts of Europe, NATO and USA
Earlier, after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Macron had spoken out in favor of further talks with Moscow. He announced that consultations on the implementation of the Minsk peace plan would continue. Macron said the talks between representatives of Russia and Ukraine would continue on Thursday in Berlin at the advisor level under Franco-German moderation in the so-called Normandy format. The Minsk agreement is the only way to achieve peace and a politically lasting solution. The agreement is the best protection for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Solution could take months
However, a solution to the Ukraine crisis is not to be expected in the near future – it could take months. His talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy helped to make progress towards stabilizing the situation.
For his part, Zelenskyj said his country expects concrete steps from Russia that show that de-escalation is meant seriously. “I don’t really trust words. I believe that every politician can be transparent by taking concrete steps,” said the Ukrainian president.
Peace plan is currently on hold
The peace plan agreed in 2015 in Minsk, Belarus, has so far been on hold. Kiev and Moscow accuse each other of violating the agreement. According to UN estimates, more than 14,000 people have been killed in fighting in the Donbass since 2014. In the wake of reports of a massive deployment of Russian soldiers near Ukraine, warnings of a possible invasion have been in the West for weeks. Moscow denies this. It is also considered possible that the Russian side wants to stir up fears in order to persuade NATO to make concessions on demands for security guarantees.