Several countries, including Ukraine, discuss possible peace agreement with Russia - Scholz

This is reported in the Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung.

"A number of countries, including Ukraine, are now discussing at the level of security advisers what something that could lead to a peace process might look like," Scholz said.

According to him, such attempts were made immediately after the start of the war, when Russia and Ukraine were in direct talks with each other. Scholz emphasized that they failed because Russia used them only as a pretext to simultaneously move its troops to the east for a major offensive.

"But let me make one thing clear: peace is possible at any time. Putin just needs to call off his barbaric campaign and withdraw his troops," the chancellor added.

• Czech President Petr Pavel believes that it is currently impossible to imagine that Ukraine and Russia will be able to agree on a cessation of hostilities.