Meretz: Russia is not interested in serious talks to end the war

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz considered on Tuesday that Russia's response to the recent meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries showed that Moscow is not ready to engage in serious negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Merz stated during a press conference in Berlin that "the subsequent assessment by Russia of this conversation showed that it is not interested at all at this stage in conducting serious talks," according to AFP.

He also called "once again on the Russian government to come to the negotiating table," adding: "But if Russia is not ready for that, we... are prepared to support Ukraine for a long time."

He also considered that "Russia will not win this war" and that it "will incur enormous damage" the longer the conflict lasts.

Mirts made these statements alongside Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who was visiting Germany.

This came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with his German counterpart Johan Wadephol on Saturday on the sidelines of the United Nations meetings.

A German diplomat stated that Wadephol "called on the Russian Federation to abandon its dangerous approach of escalation" towards his country, Europe, and NATO, affirming "Berlin's determination to support Ukraine."

However, Lavrov accused European countries in his speech at the United Nations of seeking to obstruct negotiations aimed at ending the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv, pledging that his country would achieve its goals in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated on Tuesday that Lavrov "mocked the negotiation efforts" and that Russia had not shown "any real movement, just mockery."

The talks, which are the first of their kind since the Russian military operation in Ukraine, took place against the backdrop of rising tensions between Berlin and Moscow in recent weeks. Germany held Russia responsible for an attempted drone attack that targeted Leipzig Airport. In response, both countries ordered the closure of each other's consulate.