Abu Dhabi talks will show if Russia ‘genuinely prepared’ to negotiate

German foreign minister Johann Wadephul has expressed skepticism over Russia's willingness to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, following US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi. Wadephul stated that the crucial question in the discussions should be whether Moscow is genuinely prepared to negotiate a settlement. He urged Russia to abandon its maximalist demands and warned against any negotiation show in the UAE capital.

After talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Wadephul emphasized that there is a chance to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine through negotiations, but this requires Russia to give up its maximalist demands. However, Wadephul noted that there has been no substantial contribution from Moscow toward advancing negotiations, as Russia continues to attack Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

He reiterated that Russia has shown no willingness to negotiate thus far, and that is a shared position among the parties involved.