Ukraine, Europe need lasting peace, not just a truce – Baerbock

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said this at the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum on Tuesday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Regardless of how the U.S. elections ended, it is important that Germany and Europe remain on the side of Ukraine. And Germany stands by Ukraine regardless of the results of the U.S. elections... Peace on the continent can only be with Ukraine," Baerbock said, adding that Putin desperately wants to show that there is no support for Ukraine, that there is no support for freedom, "but this is not true."

Baerbock said she was sure that there will be peace talks, but she emphasized that, firstly, "the threat of any talks would be a possible truce for a few months, while it should be about durable peace and freedom for future generations and the entire continent," and secondly, no peace talks can be held without the Ukrainians.

In her opinion, it is clear that the leaders of such influential countries as the U.S. should be at the negotiating table in addition to both parties to the war, but "there will be no peace if the Europeans do not sit at the negotiating table."

However, the minister said, in order to achieve peace, "we also need guarantees and support from other non-European actors who are closer to Putin" and have a certain influence on him. She called it good that many countries are currently involved in various tasks, in particular, the exchange of prisoners, the return of Ukrainian children and others. The diplomat said she was sure that Putin's narratives that "it's all NATO's fault," which had "great success" in the first year of the war, are not working so well at the moment.

Baerbock was quite skeptical about the idea of a peacekeeping mission in the event of a peace agreement.

She raised the issue of the need to protect Ukrainian cities and territories, first and foremost, near the border.

"Ukraine cannot wait for the missiles to cross the border. The only successful defense strategy for large cities like Kharkiv is to prevent missiles and drones from flying at all. This is the most important question at the moment. Everything must be done to protect aid to Ukraine, of course, within the framework of international law and international humanitarian law," the German minister said, adding that "perhaps some things that were not possible before are possible now or will be so tomorrow."

She also stressed the need to strengthen the defense of European countries.

"We must do everything to protect peace in Europe. It is our peace, our freedom, which is now under threat... And we must not forget to thank the Ukrainians for helping us protect peace in Europe," Baerbock said.