Abu Dhabi talks must show if Russia 'genuinely prepared' to negotiate: German FM

US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi involving Russia and Ukraine on halting the conflict initiated by Russia's invasion raised the critical question of whether Moscow is genuinely prepared to negotiate, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated on Monday. The primary issue to be addressed in the forthcoming talks should be: Is Russia truly ready to negotiate?

Speaking at the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, Wadephul urged Russia to abandon maximalist demands and cautioned against any "negotiation show" in the UAE capital. After discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Wadephul confirmed their shared belief that negotiations could potentially end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

However, he emphasized that the condition for progress is Russia's abandonment of its maximalist demands. Wadephul lamented the absence of significant contributions from Moscow towards negotiations, stating that the ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure have not induced substantial momentum. He further noted that if Russia were to demonstrate genuine willingness, everyone would be prepared to engage constructively. However, Russia has not exhibited such readiness thus far, and this remains their common stance.