Röttgen assesses peace negotiations in Ankara as pure tactics

Berlin – CDU foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen warns against excessive optimism ahead of the originally planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ankara, viewing Putin's behavior primarily as a calculated move. "You always have to have hope, but there is no justified hope because Putin wants to wage war," Röttgen told Politico magazine. The planned meeting was part of a "tactical move" by Putin, triggered by increasing international pressure – including from European states and former US President Donald Trump. Röttgen now sees Europe as having a particular responsibility: Europeans must now be prepared to act, "i.e., impose sanctions if Putin refuses," said the CDU foreign policy expert. "If these were empty words, it would be very bad and would fire back." Regarding the role of the USA, Röttgen said that there is still no clear line from Washington: "We have no grand strategy in America or in the White House." This makes it all the more important to bind Trump as closely to Europe as possible while simultaneously demonstrating one's own ability to act. Röttgen calls for a dual strategy of economic pressure on Russia and military support for Ukraine: "This is the condition for a political solution. It won't come of Putin's own free will, but only under pressure." Weapon systems like Taurus are also "part of the package."