“Facing Reality”
Baerbock currently sees no peace negotiations with Putin
07/16/2023 04:18 am
How could the Russian invasion of Ukraine be ended as quickly as possible? Foreign Minister Baerbock explains in an interview that negotiations with Kremlin boss Putin are currently not an option. Meanwhile, ex-boxing world champion Klitschko is asking the Germans for perseverance.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock sees no basis for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine in the foreseeable future. “I wish that we could negotiate. But at the moment it’s not (about) what you want, it’s about facing reality,” said the Green politician when asked whether to go along with it Putin could negotiate, in a joint interview with ex-boxing world champion Wladimir Klitschko for “Bild”, “Welt” and “Politico”.
The Foreign Minister pointed out that in the period before the war of aggression, attempts had been made to prevent further escalation at the negotiating table. “The answer was that 100,000 soldiers marched in.” You try every day that you can talk to Russia normally again – that this country diplomatically comes back to the fact that peace is the most important thing. “Unfortunately that’s not the reality. The reality is a brutal Russian war of aggression.”
Ukraine must be able to regain peace, said Baerbock. “This will only work if this brutal Russian war of aggression is ended, if the Russian soldiers leave Ukraine and stop these daily night attacks on Ukraine with drones, rockets and bombs.” Baerbock would also like to see even stronger military support for Ukraine in the fight against the Russian army – if that were possible.
“Don’t just conjure” material
“With every day of war, we try to do whatever we can to help Ukraine win this war,” she said. “Unfortunately, we can’t do magic, otherwise this war would be over.” For example, Germany could not “simply conjure up” additional material such as urgently needed air defense, said Baerbock. It must now be examined where the support could be better. Specifically, Baerbock named possible equipment for clearing and overcoming areas mined by Russian troops.
Meanwhile, former world boxing champion Klitschko has appealed to the Germans not to let up in their support for Ukraine, even if Russia’s war of aggression continues for a long time. “We don’t know how long it will take. Please support us, please don’t get weak,” he said in the joint interview. Stamina “plays the decisive role” in the fight against the Russian occupiers, said Klitschko.
The brother of Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko also emphatically contradicted the view expressed by some politicians from NATO countries that Ukraine had got everything it needed for the counteroffensive: “That’s not true. We didn’t get everything we need,” said Klitschko. These statements are “unacceptable”. His country quickly needs fighter jets and helicopters to protect itself against kamikaze drones and missiles, but also on the front lines. “Our best people – men and women – are falling,” Klitschko said. It’s “a time bomb”. In order to be able to act quickly and fight superiorly, his country needs modern weapons.