BERLIN, August 19. /TASS/. The leader of the German party Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance - Reason and Justice (BSW) said that neither the Coalition of the Willing nor Vladimir Zelensky is ready to compromise to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
"We still have serious doubts that the European ‘Coalition of the Unwilling’ and Zelensky are even attempting to achieve peace," Wagenknecht told the Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung. "Zelensky’s readiness for compromise, like that of [German Chancellor Friedrich] Merz, remains close to zero," she noted. According to her, insisting on maximum demands, including a ceasefire, only blocks progress toward peace and increases casualties.
At the same time, she welcomed the prospect of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky, calling it "a positive signal." Wagenknecht also argued that Brazil, India, China, and South Africa should be involved in future summits, since they have consistently sought mediation. She added that security guarantees should be provided by neutral states, not by the Bundeswehr or other NATO forces.
On August 18, Trump received Vladimir Zelensky, presidents of Finland and France Alexander Stubb and Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Great Britain Keir Starmer, Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, and the head of the Italian government Giorgia Meloni. In addition, the meeting was attended by the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. According to Macron, the talks focused on security guarantees for Ukraine.
During the meeting in Washington, Trump made a phone call to Putin, with whom, the US president said, he discussed, among other things, the prospects for holding a meeting between the Russian leader and Zelensky, followed by trilateral negotiations. According to Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, the leaders expressed support for continuing direct consultations between Moscow and Kiev, and the idea of elevating their level was also considered.