Germany's Scholz calls for more Ukraine peace talks

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday called for more diplomatic efforts to bring peace to Ukraine, following a summit on the issue last weekend in Saudi Arabia.

"It makes sense for us to continue these talks because they increase the pressure on Russia to realize that it has taken the wrong path and that it must withdraw its troops and make peace possible," Scholz said in his annual summer interview with German public broadcaster ZDF.

Scholz said the Jeddah security talks were "very important" but "only the beginning, unfortunately."

Representatives from around 40 countries including China, Germany, India and the United States took part in last weekend's gathering, though Russia was not invited.

Following the talks, Kyiv said it was "satisfied" with the response to its 10-point peace plan, which includes the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

Moscow, meanwhile, said a peace settlement was only possible if Ukraine's military lays down its arms.

In his ZDF interview, Scholz rated China's participation in the talks as particularly important, as Beijing is perhaps Russia's most important international partner, and had skipped an earlier international summit in Copenhagen in June.

Chancellor evasive on Taurus cruise missiles

The chancellor was also asked about whether Berlin would agree to supply Kyiv with Taurus cruise missiles for defense against Russia, but he remained non-committal, implying that Berlin would stick to its measured policy toward military support for Ukraine.

"As in the past, we will always review every single decision very carefully, what is possible, what makes sense, what can be our contribution," he said.

The chancellor reiterated that Germany was now the second-biggest supplier of military assistance to Ukraine after the United States.

Kyiv continues to pressure the German government to supply Taurus cruise missiles, having struggled to make headway in its counteroffensive in the face of stiff Russian resistance, despite being supported by Western weapons.

Kyiv lays out case for attaining Taurus missiles

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Bild am Sonntag newspaper: "The formula is simple: A longer range of missiles means a shorter duration of the war."

With the weapon, Ukraine could "reach Russian occupation forces on Ukrainian soil far beyond the front line, disrupt their logistics and destroy command centers and ammunition depots," he added.

Politicians from within Scholz's coalition as well as the conservative opposition have ramped up pressure on the issue recently.

However, there's also concern that Ukraine might use the missiles for possible strikes against Russian territory, which would likely widen the conflict.

mm/jcg (AFP, dpa)

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