Any participation by representatives of Germany or the European Union in possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia must be decided by Ukraine's leadership.
Juergen Hardt, foreign policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction in the German Bundestag, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.
"I consider this propaganda. Because if Putin were truly serious about a mediating process, his address would be the President of Ukraine, to whom he should make such a proposal. And only then would President Zelensky clarify to the West how he evaluates such a mediation proposal," Hardt said, commenting on Putin's suggestion that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could serve as a potential European mediator.
According to him, this is why the initiative should not be taken seriously. He added that the real target was likely domestic German public opinion, aimed at strengthening pro-Russian political forces.
"This was a smokescreen aimed primarily at sentiments in Germany and is part of Russian support for the Alternative for Germany party," he said.
