Agency Report –
Munich – German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned on Friday against a “sham peace” for Ukraine and said she plans to hold intensive consultations with US allies at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), which is about to begin.
“A sham peace – over the heads of the Ukrainians and Europeans – would gain nothing,” said Baerbock. “A sham peace would not bring lasting security, neither for the people in Ukraine nor for us in Europe or the United States.”
At the end of negotiations, there must be “a sustainable peace solution that protects Ukraine’s sovereignty and ensures that Putin’s Russia will never again endanger Europe’s peace,” she said.
Now, newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump has announced plans to hold peace negotiations with Putin over Ukraine, about which Trump did not consult European allies beforehand.
In 2022, Putin “sent his tanks on their way to Kiev shortly after the MSC and shook our security to the core, we are now once again at an existential crossroads for our security in Europe,” Baerbock said.
Peace will only come through strength, said Baerbock, which will require tough long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, a strong NATO alliance and progress in Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.
