Germany says 'blackmail' of Ukraine will bring more war

The German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, on Friday, said Europe needed to ramp up pressure on Washington to stand by Nato allies and not impose an unfair peace on Ukraine.
Her comments came after US President Donald Trump spoke to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin last week to discuss ending the war and before Trump declared he doesn't consider it essential for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be present at talks aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine.
"I don't think he's very important to be in meetings," Trump said in an audio interview with Fox News, adding that Zelenskyy has been negotiating "with no cards, and you get sick of it."
What did the German foreign minister say?
Baerbock's statements were similar to those of other European leaders discussing how to approach likely changes to transatlantic relations during Trump's second term.
"We are increasing the pressure on the Americans so that they have as much to lose as possible if they no longer stand by the side of the liberal democracies of Europe," Baerbock told a campaign event in Potsdam.
The foreign minister referred to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's declaration of a "turning point" when it came to increasing Berlin's military strength in light of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
"Three years ago we said: It is a turning point. Now we need a second turning point, no more hesitation and procrastination for our peace," she said.
Baerbock warned that any deal that handed Russia Ukrainian territory without offering Kyiv any security guarantee — without the consent of Ukraine — would fail.
"A false peace — that is, a peace that is not peace but blackmail or a capitulation — is not peace, but the opposite: further preparation for even more war and violence," said Baerbock. "That is why I will support Ukraine as long as it needs it, because it is our peace."
Her comments came after top US diplomat Marco Rubio and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov met in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, without any representative from Ukraine present.
"Nobody can decide on war and peace over the heads of the Ukrainians or us Europeans - and that is clearly Germany's position," Baerbock said.
Regarding Europe's future relations with the United States after Brussels was also frozen out of the talks, Baerbock said the bloc had made no decision on how to proceed.
She advised that we should "not fall for the trap and jump through every hoop that is held out to us."
How are US-Ukraine relations faring?
The US envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg, who travelled to Kyiv on Wednesday, struck a positive tone after what he said on the social platform X was "a long and intense day" of talks with Ukraine's senior leadership.
Kellogg's comments marked a departure from recent rebukes of Zelenskyy by Trump and other senior US officials, indicating an abrupt unravelling of relations.
He referred to Zelensky as "the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war." He described Zelensky's advisors as "his talented national security team."
Meanwhile, Trump's national security adviser says he believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will accept a deal giving the US access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Mike Waltz said, "Here's the bottom line. President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal," without being clear on the details or timeline of any agreement.
Zelenskyy has rejected an initial draft of the contract from Washington with reports that the US is demanding 50 per cent of the income from raw materials as payment for the military aid that Washington has provided so far.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, discussed "aligning positions" in bilateral relations in a call with Waltz on Friday.
The president's office said Yermak had "stressed the importance of maintaining bilateral cooperation and a high level of relations between Ukraine and the United States."