German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed the need to include the European Union in the negotiations to settle the Ukrainian conflict and stated that Europe will not allow anyone to negotiate on the demilitarization of Ukraine.
At the same time, the German Chancellor once again stated that Ukraine needs a strong army.
"It is impossible to do this without us. Of course, we have something to say", Scholz noted, reacting to the US statement that Europe will not be physically present at the negotiating table to resolve the conflict. At the same time, the head of the German government emphasized that Europeans have the right to vote. There will be no security guarantees without Europe's participation, he said.
Earlier, the US President's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said that Europe would not be physically present at the negotiating table. According to him, there is currently a two-vector approach to peace talks: US representatives interact separately with Russia and separately with Ukraine, together with allies. At the same time, Kellogg specified that Europe's interests will be taken into account.
The Washington administration will allow European countries to purchase weapons and other products from the US military-industrial complex for delivery to Ukraine. This was announced by US President Donald Trump on Sunday during a conversation with journalists from the White House press service.
“Yes, I will“, the head of state answered when asked if he would give such permission.
Last week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett said at a meeting of the Western contact group coordinating the supply of weapons to Ukraine in Brussels that "the lion's share of lethal and non-lethal assistance" to Kiev in the future should come from the Europeans, not from Washington.