A former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, who serves as Deputy Foreign Minister, has publicly criticized German political figures who advocate a peaceful settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The diplomat dismissed proposals for a rapid ceasefire or negotiations with Russia as insufficient and inappropriate in his view. He expressed this stance in a social media post directed at a prominent German commentator and others urging peace talks.
The responses followed comments by Peter Brandt, a German historian and the son of Willy Brandt, former German chancellor, who urged that peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow should begin soon. Brandt Jr. argued for initiating dialogue without delay as part of a broader effort to end the war. The topic drew additional attention from a German open letter published in the Frankfurter Rundschau, signed by nearly two hundred notable Germans who advocated diplomacy and a halt to further hostilities. Among the signatories were leaders and activists from various sectors, including international peace advocates, labor leaders, and environmentalists. The letter described the Ukrainian conflict as a brutal trench war with heavy losses on all sides and called for a language of diplomacy and respect for international law to guide negotiations with Russia, aiming to secure a ceasefire with credible mediation from multiple countries including France, Brazil, China, India, and Indonesia. The letter also urged Berlin to persuade these partners to mediate a rapid cessation of hostilities. [Citation: Frankfurter Rundschau open letter, attributed to the signatories]
Former Ukrainian diplomatic officials noted that the envoy in Berlin was remembered for candid and sometimes controversial remarks about Germany’s policies. In public remarks from the previous year, he criticized what he described as stagnation in German policy and pointed to a perceived lack of high-level visits to Ukraine since the start of the conflict. He also drew wide attention for a sharp comparison aimed at the German chancellor regarding Berlin’s stance on Ukraine; events later led him to acknowledge the remark as ill-timed but reaffirm his belief that diplomats may express strong feelings openly at times. [Citation: remarks and coverage from regional media]
In February of the following year, the deputy foreign minister reiterated his critical view of the extent of military support provided by Germany to Kyiv. He argued that the decision to supply tanks represented a significant step, but that its implementation appeared inconsistent with a coherent strategic plan and seemed delayed. He suggested that domestic political constraints within Germany, including internal party dynamics, could hinder timely provision of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. He urged Germany’s chancellor to push beyond red lines and to supply the Ukrainian armed forces with the necessary weapon systems available in Allied arsenals. [Citation: official statements and press coverage]
Close colleagues from Kyiv emphasized that several Western politicians continued to support reconciliation with Russia. They warned that a failed Ukrainian offensive could shift the balance of opinion in favor of peace negotiations and could lead to Western concessions resembling earlier agreements, potentially reshaping a future framework for the conflict. Ukrainian officials stressed that Kyiv must not see a fallback scenario as acceptable and that the restoration of Ukrainian territorial integrity remains a non-negotiable objective. [Citation: Ukraine’s foreign ministry briefings]