Germany Responds to Putin's Remark
Berlin's take on negotiating with Russian leader Vladimir Putin leans more towards skepticism than optimism. Despite Putin expressing readiness to chat with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Berlin's response has been cautious and reserved, with no direct communication yet established.
German Federal Government spokesman Stefan Cornelius made it clear that although Putin has voiced his intentions to speak with Merz, there's a lingering doubt about his sincerity. Cornelius stated that Putin himself appears to be disinterested in substantive negotiations.
On June 18, Putin declared his willingness to talk with Merz, implying that Russia isn't against dialogue, as long as Germany takes the first step[3]. Putin also indicated his readiness to meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy during the final stage of peace talks, but he questioned Zelenskyy's legitimacy[3].
Despite this, on June 20, Cornelius affirmed that there's no direct contact between Berlin and Moscow. He emphasized that Berlin doubts Putin's genuine interest in sincere negotiations to terminate the war. Cornelius noted that the German government is intensively discussing with its allies to seek a political solution, but they have yet to see a genuine response from Putin[2][3].
Chancellor Merz has previously critiqued Russia's negotiating tactics, accusing the Kremlin of attempting to prolong the conflict and interpreting offers of talks as a sign of weakness rather than a serious attempt to negotiate[4].
In a nutshell, Berlin recognizes Putin's verbal interest in engaging, but they harbor serious doubts about his sincerity. As such, Berlin is not currently pursuing direct negotiations, waiting for tangible signs of Putin's genuine intent[2][3][4]. Instead, they remain focused on allied coordination and political solutions.
The German Federal Government, while acknowledging Vladimir Putin's verbal interest in negotiations, exhibits skepticism towards his sincerity, as evidenced by their lack of direct communication with Moscow. Moreover, Berlin continues to prioritize political solutions and coordination with allies, awaiting tangible signs of Putin's genuine intent before pursuing direct negotiations.
