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

PARIS: US-mediated talks this week in Abu Dhabi between Russia and Ukraine on ending the war sparked by the Russian invasion will show if Moscow is truly ready to negotiate a settlement, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Monday. 'This is the crucial question that must be made clear in the discussions over the coming days: Is Russia genuinely prepared to negotiate?' Wadephul said on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, urging Moscow to 'give up maximalist demands' and warning against any 'negotiation show' in the UAE capital. Speaking after talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Wadephul said they 'agreed that there is a chance to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine through negotiations.' But he added: 'The prerequisite is that Russia finally abandons its maximalist demands.' Wadephul warned that against a background of continued Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure 'we see no substantial contribution whatsoever toward negotiations gaining any serious momentum' on Moscow's part. 'If that were to happen, everyone would be prepared to engage in a very constructive manner,' he added. 'But Russia has not shown any such willingness thus far, and that is our shared position.'