'Our only demand is that weapons go silent': German foreign minister on Russia-Ukraine war

German foreign minister Johann David Wadephul on Wednesday said that the country’s only demand in the Russia-Ukraine was is that “weapons go silent”.

Wadephul arrived in India on Tuesday on a two-day visit. After engaging with the scientific and industrial fraternity in Bengaluru, he held a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday. He also held a meeting with Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal.

At a press conference in New Delhi, Wadephul said that the “only demand is that weapons fall silent” and added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shown the intention to make peace but Russian leader Vladimir Putin has not committed to a meeting as part of peace efforts.

“We Europeans are doing our best, working with our American and Ukrainian friends to ensure that this war ends soon and that Ukraine finds peace as a sovereign state,” said Wadephul.

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The Associated Press reported that Wadephul urged India to press Putin to return to peace talks over the war in Ukraine, capitalising on the historically close ties between India and Russia.

‘Talks have not been easy’

Wadephul said that ongoing talks have not been easy but noted that conversations have been “very fruitful”.

Wadephul also mentioned Trump’s mediation but noted that Putin has yet not agreed to sit across the table from Zelenskyy.

Wadephul further said, “Ukraine agreed to sit down on negotiation table but Russia has not agreed. The only demand is weapon go silent. We want to do whatever we can do to make President Putin to sit on the table. We have sanctions imposed on Russia.”

Ukraine and Russia have held multiple rounds of talks in Turkey. However, no major understanding emerged out of those talks and it is not known if and when another round of talks would be held. Last month, after Putin rebuffed all of his deadlines and requests, Trump invited the Russian leader to the United States for a summit. Following the summit, Trump held meetings with Zelenskyy and European leaders. But nothing substantial came out of these Trump-led efforts.

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Instead, Russia ramped up assaults on Ukraine and defied yet another two-week deadline set by Trump.

Listing Europe’s efforts to pressure Russia, Wadephul drew an apparent distinction from the United States. He highlighted that Europe has imposed sanctions on Russia and has set a price cap on oil in a bid to deprive the country of funds for the war — whereas the United States has slapped India with 50 per cent tariffs after accusing India of driving the Russian war machine.