Frankfurt (Germany), 28 Sept. (LaPresse) – “The outcome of the talks has shown once again that Russia still does not appear ready” to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine and, above all, a ceasefire. This was stated by the spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry, summarising the meeting in New York between Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. A result which, he added, “in essence comes as no surprise to us”. “Germany is ready to pursue the diplomatic route as soon as Russia declares itself willing to engage in serious negotiations for a lasting ceasefire,” explained the spokesperson, emphasising that “Ukraine has been ready for some time”. The face-to-face meeting revealed once again that the positions of Berlin and Moscow are “light years apart” and that the German government still does not see the necessary willingness to negotiate on the Russian side. The outcome of the meeting was “on the whole extremely disappointing”, added the spokesperson, whilst refraining from speculating on the possibility of further meetings in the coming months. Berlin, he clarified, remains ready to engage diplomatically should the Russian position change. The Foreign Ministry, however, rejected the view that the Wadephul–Lavrov meeting had been pointless. “We do not explicitly share this assessment; otherwise, we would not have gone ahead with the meeting,” said the spokesperson. A direct discussion, he explained, also serves to ascertain “just how far apart the positions actually are”. The fact that they turned out to be “light years apart”, he added, “does not mean that the meeting itself was pointless”. The spokesperson explained that the talks centred on three main issues: the war in Ukraine and European security, the attempted drone attack in Leipzig, and the issue of wheat exports via the Black Sea. On this last issue, Wadephul had been urged by several countries to intervene to try to improve the supply situation, particularly in the Global South.
Ukraine: Berlin, disappointing Wadephul-Lavrov meeting, with Moscow light years away
Frankfurt (Germany), 28 Sept. (LaPresse) – “The outcome of the talks has shown once again that Russia still does not appear ready” to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine and, above all, a ceasefire. This was stated by the spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry, summarising the meeting in New York between Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. A result which, he added, “in essence comes as no surprise to us”. “Germany is ready to pursue the diplomatic route as soon as Russia declares itself willing to engage in serious negotiations for a lasting ceasefire,” explained the spokesperson, emphasising that “Ukraine has been ready for some time”. The face-to-face meeting revealed once again that the positions of Berlin and Moscow are “light years apart” and that the German government still does not see the necessary willingness to negotiate on the Russian side. The outcome of the meeting was “on the whole extremely disappointing”, added the spokesperson, whilst refraining from speculating on the possibility of further meetings in the coming months. Berlin, he clarified, remains ready to engage diplomatically should the Russian position change. The Foreign Ministry, however, rejected the view that the Wadephul–Lavrov meeting had been pointless. “We do not explicitly share this assessment; otherwise, we would not have gone ahead with the meeting,” said the spokesperson. A direct discussion, he explained, also serves to ascertain “just how far apart the positions actually are”. The fact that they turned out to be “light years apart”, he added, “does not mean that the meeting itself was pointless”. The spokesperson explained that the talks centred on three main issues: the war in Ukraine and European security, the attempted drone attack in Leipzig, and the issue of wheat exports via the Black Sea. On this last issue, Wadephul had been urged by several countries to intervene to try to improve the supply situation, particularly in the Global South.