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Military operation in Ukraine

German envoy doubts time is ripe for talks on Ukraine ceasefire

"It’s quite clear that Europe will play its part in resolving" the conflict, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff said

© Maxim Grigoryev/TASS

BERLIN, November 17. /TASS/. German Ambassador to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff believes that the time isn’t yet ripe to engage with Russia on peace in Ukraine.

"I would not like to start discussing here whether there should once be a line of engagement, a ceasefire line or demilitarization zone, or whether there will be observers or nor. All these could be details for future talks," the German diplomat said in an interview with Funke media group.

"<...> Unfortunately, we have not reached a moment where this could be discussed," Lambsdorff argues. However, he thinks, "it’s quite clear that Europe will play its part in resolving" the conflict.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club that Moscow is ready for peace talks on Ukraine based on the situation on the ground but not on Kiev’s "wishlist."

On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Putin, marking their first phone conversation since December 2022. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders discussed Ukraine, the Middle East crisis, and bilateral relations between Moscow and Berlin. They agreed that their aides would maintain communication.

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