Ukraine will only agree to negotiated settlement if it is confident that its statehood and sovereignty will be effectively preserved, government sources say
Germany said on Saturday that it is important to have effective security guarantees for Ukraine as a prerequisite for a peace settlement with Russia following the summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska.
Ukraine will only agree to a negotiated settlement if it is confident that its statehood and sovereignty will be effectively preserved, the German Press Agency (dpa) reported, citing government sources in Berlin.
"And nice words are not enough, especially not nice words on the Russian side. What is needed is material, substantial, tangible support," they added.
In a joint statement issued early Saturday, European leaders expressed their willingness to support Trump's efforts to advance peace talks in Ukraine, stressing that Ukraine "must have ironclad security guarantees" to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to the government circles, this EU statement was based on a German draft. They pointed out that Berlin wanted to ensure that the Europeans are closely coordinating and continue to stand closely by Ukraine's side.
"And that we continue to maintain this balance with the US—on the one hand, we want to protect our core security interests, but on the other hand, we want to do so in a way that is in partnership with the US and keeps the US in the game," the German side said.
Trump and Putin held a key summit in Anchorage late Friday, marking the first meeting between the sitting Russian and US presidents in over four years.
