It’s up to Ukraine to decide when it will sit down at negotiating table with Russia – Steinmeier

It’s up to Ukraine to decide when it will sit down at the negotiating table with Russia. Western partners will not push Kyiv.

"It’s an open question how exactly the war will end. The war is now being waged on the battlefield, but there must be a prospect for negotiations. It’s only up to Ukraine to decide when it will sit down at the negotiating table," President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, ZN.UA informs citing Steinmeier's interview with ZDF.

But Germany is ready to support Ukraine so that our country approaches the start of negotiations with a strong position.

"We need to ensure that Ukraine has something to agree on, to make it strong before the negotiations begin. We will not push Ukraine. It’s up to Ukraine to decide when to embark on this path," he noted.

The President of Germany recognizes the territorial integrity of Ukraine within the borders of 1991, including the territories of Donbas and Crimea currently occupied by Russia.

"Ukraine has to restore its sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence throughout its territory," Steinmeier added.

In the interview, he also stated that Russian president Vladimir Putin was destroying his country by unleashing a full-scale war. According to the German president, "several difficult years" may lie ahead.

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