Germany: no talks without truce in Ukraine

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters in London that Kyiv is ready to negotiate peace, but only after Russia agrees to an immediate cease‑fire—putting the burden on President Vladimir Putin to match Ukraine’s offer and open the door to the first talks since 2019.

Germany used a meeting of senior European diplomats in London on 12 May to put the onus on Moscow for the next move toward ending the war in Ukraine, saying that any peace process must begin with a verifiable cease‑fire. “Ukraine is ready for this,” Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters, “and President Zelenskyy has taken a big step forward; the expectation now is that President Putin will follow suit.” 

Wadephul was speaking ahead of a “Weimar +” session that brought together the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. In a joint statement, the group promised to “step up European efforts” to arm and finance Kyiv and urged Russia to accept a 30‑day unconditional truce so that direct talks can begin. 

The German minister’s comments came only a day after the Kremlin said Vladimir Putin was “serious” about peace and proposed face‑to‑face negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on 15 May. Ukraine’s president responded that he would attend provided the Russian leader appeared in person and halted attacks first—a condition backed by European capitals that have warned of fresh sanctions if shelling continues. 

Berlin has paired its call for a cease‑fire with a warning that weapons deliveries will continue unless Russia stands down. Since February 2022 Germany has supplied Leopard 2 tanks, IRIS‑T and Patriot air‑defence batteries and MARS II rocket launchers, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz has adopted a new policy of withholding shipment details to create what officials call “strategic ambiguity.” 

Diplomats say the next 72 hours will test whether Moscow is willing to match Ukraine’s declared readiness to talk. If artillery fire subsides and Putin travels to Istanbul, negotiations could restart for the first time since December 2019; failure to do so would likely trigger an expanded EU sanctions package and a fresh tranche of German air‑defence interceptors already prepared for approval. 

For Europe, Wadephul argued, the choice is stark: “Either we seize this moment and give peace a chance, or we brace for further escalation.” With a unified message from London and a tentative offer from Moscow on the table, the opening act now belongs to the Kremlin.

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