Israel-Iran conflict shifts global focus away from Ukraine — German FM Wadephul

In an interview with Spiegel, Wadephul acknowledged concerns that international focus may be shifting away from Russia’s war in Ukraine.

"Yes, of course. We are not forgetting about Ukraine," he said. "The same applies to other armed conflicts and humanitarian catastrophes, such as those in Sudan and South Sudan, where thousands are dying."

Wadephul argued that consistent pressure from the West increases the chances that Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to negotiations. 

“That means we must not weaken military support—we have to continue assisting Kyiv. This is essential for our freedom.”

He added that every additional day of the war is a tragedy and called for tighter coordination between Europe and the United States.

“If we succeed in that, Putin will be ready to negotiate very quickly,” he said.

• The scenario of each war is unlikely to resemble the previous one. Right now, the stakes are being raised in the war between Iran and Israel.