Ukraine War | Wasted opportunity for peace with Russia

Instead of making productive use of Sergei Lavrov's first meeting with a German foreign minister since the start of the war in Ukraine, both sides are exploiting the New York meeting for propaganda purposes. Photo: dpa/Michael Kappeler The German and Russian foreign ministers have now met. After more than four years of war, such a conversation was long overdue.

A lot is currently being written about what Johann Wadephul said. It would be equally important to look at the Russian conditions for an end to the war.

Four points of Russia's demands are particularly important: Russia wants an end to discrimination against the Russian language in Ukraine and also an end to discrimination against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This church broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church immediately after the start of the Russian war of aggression. Nevertheless, in Ukraine the label “Moscow Patriarchate” is still attached to it for propaganda reasons.

Moscow also wants Ukrainian neutrality to continue. Actually nothing new. Two months before its attack on Ukraine, Moscow spoke out against Ukrainian accession to NATO in a draft for a security agreement at the end of 2021. And fourthly, Russia wants to be given the parts of Donbass that it has not yet occupied.

It must be checked whether there is room for negotiation on the first three points. Progress on these three issues would have a de-escalating effect. However, promoting the Ukrainian language in those areas of Russia where Ukrainian is also spoken would also have to be addressed.

Religious freedom should also be an issue on both sides. To give just one example: The Russian army had barely occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia region when the Mennonites there were banned and expropriated.

The thread of conversation must be maintained, and so must the sanctions. As long as there is war, efforts to put pressure on Russia through economic means must not be allowed to let up. And we must not allow the Russian war economy to be kept running with our money.

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