Oliver Towfigh Nia
13 March 2024•Update: 14 March 2024
BERLIN
An offer for peace talks by Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be taken seriously as long as he continues his “war of aggression” on Ukraine, a spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday.
“I find it difficult to take the Russian president's words seriously at this point because he continues to relentlessly pursue his war of aggression against Ukraine with massive rocket fire and the like,” Steffen Hebestreit told media representatives in Berlin.
“The Russian president can end this war immediately at any time by canceling his (military) campaign, withdrawing his troops (from Ukraine), and going to the negotiating table,” he added.
Earlier in the day, the Russian leader reiterated Moscow's stance that it has never refused talks with Kyiv.
Saying that Russia and Ukraine agreed on a draft deal in Istanbul during the early stages of the over two-year conflict, Putin said they are ready for negotiations based on realities on the ground.
Russia has been promised many things in the past, but promises alone "are not enough," he said.
"To negotiate just because they (Ukraine) are running out of ammunition is somehow ridiculous on our part. We are, however, ready for a serious conversation, and we want to resolve all conflicts, especially this conflict, through peaceful means.
"But we must clearly understand that it shouldn’t be a break for the enemy to rearm but a serious talk involving security guarantees for the Russian Federation," Putin said.
Germany has repeatedly said it is up to Ukraine when and how to start peace negotiations with Russia.
Separately, the German Foreign Ministry criticized Putin’s warnings of latest nuclear war, saying it would not be intimidated by the Kremlin.
“Putin uses fear as a weapon. We will not be guided by fear. Peace in Ukraine and security in Europe can only be achieved through strength. Our allies can rely on a strong Europe,” the ministry said on the social media platform X.
The Russian president recently stressed that his country is ready for a nuclear war from a "military-technical" standpoint.
“From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready. They (Russian forces) are constantly in a state of combat readiness,” Putin told the state-run Rossiya-1 television in an interview.
He said it is a “generally accepted thing” that Russia’s nuclear triad -- land, sea, and air -- is more modern than any other, adding that only Moscow and Washington have such a triad.
“We have made much more progress here. Ours is more modern, with all the nuclear components. In general, in terms of carriers and charges, we have approximately parity, but ours is more modern,” Putin added.
