The German government indicated on Monday that former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is not positioned to negotiate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking to the dts news agency, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius stated that “Russia knows who the appropriate contacts in Europe are” confirming that there is “a clearly defined diplomatic environment” for negotiations.
Kornelius specified that if Russia were serious about negotiating, the required individuals on the European side are already known, though he declined to name them. Despite this, the spokesperson assured the public that the German government will “continue to participate in mediation efforts”.
The statement also emphasized that Europe claims a right to participate in any potential peace process and that it is up to Russia to “accept Europe’s participation”. Regarding a ceasefire, the conditions have been “publicly sufficiently outlined”. Therefore, Kornelius concluded by stating that they are awaiting “substantial signals from Moscow that it wishes to engage in negotiations based on these facts, which have been known for weeks now”.