Saxon PM Urges Germany-Russia Dialogue, Ukraine to Accept Territory Loss

The Prime Minister of the German state of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, said that Ukraine should come to terms with the occupation of its territories by Russia. This, in his opinion, will ensure a truce and a cease-fire.

“Perhaps, in the event of a ceasefire, Ukraine will first have to admit that certain territories are temporarily inaccessible to Ukraine,” Spiegel quoted Kretschmer as saying.

“Not a square meter of Ukrainian territory has become Russian,” Kretschmer said. “But as with other major conflicts, the time has come for a final solution.”

He also called on the German government to reconsider its policy towards Russia. He believes that it is necessary to start a dialogue with the Kremlin. As an example, he gave the US, which, according to him, allegedly understood that only supplying weapons to Ukraine would not end the war.

“Russia is our neighbor. A dangerous, unpredictable neighbor. The idea of weakening Russia militarily, politically, and economically so that it can no longer threaten us is an attitude that goes back to the 19th century. This lays the groundwork for further conflicts,” Kretschmer said.

The Prime Minister of the German state of Saxony has repeatedly called for a “freeze” of the conflict.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to Kretschmer’s statement: “If Ukraine accepts the temporary loss of territories, Russian troops will become closer to Germany and Saxony in particular.”

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The Ministry continued: “Peace in Europe [comes with the] defeat of Moscow. We urge the German politician to face the truth: first, Chancellor Angela Merkel, and later Chancellor Olaf Scholz made enormous political efforts to convince Putin to stop the war. It didn’t help. Any other concessions will not help. Its [Russia’s] goal is the destruction of Ukraine and the destabilization of all of Europe.”

In Ukraine, they believe that Germany’s only way forward concerning Russia is even greater support for Ukraine. The Ministry said that Ukraine is grateful that Germany’s Federal Government agrees with this approach rather than with Kretschmer.