Germany’s Scholz Urges Renewed Efforts for Peace in Ukraine, According to Reuters

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for a renewed effort to establish peace in Ukraine. He indicated that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy recently discussed the necessity of a new peace conference that would involve Russia.

"I believe that now is the time to discuss how to transition from this state of war to peace, and to do so more swiftly," Scholz stated during a televised interview with broadcaster ZDF.

Scholz is facing increased pressure domestically following significant losses for all three parties in his center-left coalition during recent regional elections. In contrast, factions advocating for improved relations with Moscow experienced a surge in support.

The nationalist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the newly formed anti-establishment party BSW, both of which oppose military assistance for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion, achieved record results in the elections.

In July, Zelenskiy announced his intention to prepare a proposal by November for a second international peace summit concerning Ukraine, which would include representatives from Russia.

Earlier in June, Ukraine hosted delegations from 92 countries at a summit in Switzerland aimed at advancing its peace framework. Notably, Russia was not invited and dismissed the gathering as ineffective.