Scholz's party calls for creation of contact group for Ukraine-Russia negotiations

He said this in an interview with the Rheinische Post.

According to Mützenich, Chancellor Scholz and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy agree that now is a good time to intensify efforts for peace talks, and that Russia should also be present at the next peace summit. The SPD leader also supports this, believing that it provides an opportunity for other countries to step up efforts to end the fighting.

"In my opinion, the time has come for the Western allies to initiate a contact group to start the process," Mützenich said.

In his view, the contact group should also include China, India, Turkey and Brazil to play a mediating role.

"There is a growing belief in these countries that Russia's war of aggression could become a burden. That is why the work of the contact group can be promising and play an important mediation role," the politician concluded.

• The head of the Chinese Ministry of Defence, Dong Jun, said that the only solution to end the war in Ukraine and Gaza is negotiations.