Baerbock Warns: Do Not Let Putin Blind You in Peace Talks

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has welcomed US mediation efforts in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, but warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could deceive the West.

She said this on Wednesday during sideline discussions at a climate conference in Berlin, The Guardian reports.  

Baerbock stressed that a genuine dialogue is impossible if the ceasefire is constantly accompanied by new demands and concessions.  

‘It is also good that the United States is trying to take on a mediating role here. At the same time, we must not fool ourselves, and above all, we must not allow ourselves to be blinded by the Russian president,’ the German foreign minister said.  

According to Russian media, the talks between Russia and the United States, which took place on 24 March in Saudi Arabia, lasted 12 hours. The Kremlin claims that the main topic of discussion was the possible resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, from which Russia withdrew in 2023.  

According to The Gaze, on 25 March, a regular meeting of the Ukrainian and American delegations on the ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow took place in Saudi Arabia.  

As a result of these talks, it became known that the US delegation, together with representatives of Ukraine and Russia, agreed to work to achieve a truce in the Black Sea and to ban attacks on energy infrastructure.  

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump suggested that the Russian leader may be ‘dragging feet’ according the conclusion of a truce agreement with Ukraine.