German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for a renewed effort to establish peace in Ukraine, adding that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed on the need for a new peace conference that would include Russia in recent talks, Reuters reports.
In June 2024, Ukraine hosted delegations from 92 countries at the first Peace Summit in Switzerland to advance on a path for peace negotiations. The event ended with signing a communiqué.
In the document, leaders agreed on a framework based on international law addressing nuclear safety, food security, and POW exchanges toward a comprehensive peace in Ukraine.
Following the summit, Andrii Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, said that the second meeting was expected to occur in a Global South country, potentially in the Middle East. The sources also revealed that Ukraine was anticipating Russia’s participation in the talks.
“I believe that now is the time to discuss how to arrive at peace from this state of war, indeed at a faster pace,” Scholz told broadcaster ZDF.
Scholz is facing pressure at home after all three parties in his center-left coalition experienced significant losses in two regional elections a week ago, while groups advocating for improved relations with Moscow received more support.
The nationalist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the new anti-establishment party BSW, both opposing military aid for Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion, achieved record gains.
Earlier, Germany arrested four individuals, three men and one woman, who were accused of spying for China. Among them was an individual identified as Jian G. by German authorities, who served as an assistant to Maximilian Krah from the AfD and a member of the European Parliament.
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