Hope next Trump-Putin meeting will be more fruitful: German Ambassador
New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Germany’s Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann on Friday hoped that the proposed next meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will be “more fruitful” than the last one held in Alaska. Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, the diplomat stated that Germany looks at the situation in Ukraine with great concern and feels the desire to see an end to the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv.
“I think we in Germany, and I think that’s valid for across Europe, look with great concern and preoccupation of what happens in Ukraine. You know, you talk about fatigue and exhaustion. I think we had a wake-up call, two-three weeks ago when all of a sudden Russian fighter jets entered NATO territory for 15 minutes or something. Then we had drones over Scandinavian airports, all of a sudden, it’s not clear whether they were Russian, but the likelihood is there. So, I think Europe more and more feels under threat,” said Ackermann.
“So, I think we don’t feel the exhaustion or fatigue. We feel the desire and the urge to end this war. And you mentioned a possible meeting between President Putin and President Trump. I hope it will be more fruitful than the last one. But at the same time, I think it is very important to see that the American side has now at least alluded to being ready to deliver talks to the Ukrainian side and that makes Russia, I think, a little nervous and maybe that is also a sign of strength that you say, you know, we don’t accept everything, we want to be allies. You know, Pete Hegseth has said it at the NATO Defence Council recently, we are not standing idle, we will do something and therefore, I think you have to have this mixture of strength, decisiveness, but also readiness for dialogue. Unlike the Middle East, I don’t see cessation of hostilities, that’s what it is in the Middle East. It’s not a peace process yet, I hope. It will be one, but it’s not one yet. I hope, we’ll see that in Russia and Ukraine soon,” he added.
The German Ambassador mentioned that Ukraine is helping Germany when it comes to combatting drone attacks.
“Let me tell you one thing, basically, Ukrainians are helping us now because they are pretty good when it comes to drones and drone attacks and also drone combat and fighting drones. Their technology is really advanced. Ours is not, so we will learn from them. But what you rightly say is that all of a sudden we see Russian warfare. I mean, if it is Russian, I think we have to be very careful so far. It has not been proven, but I think there is a likelihood at least there, has crossed borders, NATO territory, and that’s provocation. We have to react and I think what you see all across Europe, including the UK, of course, we will have to put our armed forces in a position to fight that, to deter this aggression and therefore, you will hear that my country’s defence spending is going up big time in order to put our army in a better state.”
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