Berlin: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he was open in principle to talks with Moscow on a sustainable peace in Ukraine, but ruled out making concessions to Russia. “Ukraine must of course be the first to speak. But we are also ready to talk,” Wadephul said at the “Cafe Kyiv” forum hosted by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin.

According to Qatar News Agency, Wadephul emphasized that Germany would not arrive in Moscow and make further concessions. He stated, “We will not do that. If the shooting stops, if there is a serious willingness to talk, then we will certainly be involved.” Wadephul, from the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), dismissed suggestions from some members of the centre-left Social Democrats to approach President Putin with new proposals for a ceasefire.

He highlighted the presence of existing communication channels and criticized the notion of their ineffectiveness if the other party is unwilling to engage in dialogue. “There is no shortage of communication channels. But a channel is useless if he does not want to talk,” Wadephul remarked.

During discussions following an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels, where Hungary blocked a planned tightening of sanctions on Russia, Wadephul urged Budapest to reconsider its stance. He called on Hungary to lift its veto on a new sanctions package and a proposed 90 billion euro ($106 billion) EU loan for Ukraine.