According to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Ukraine was prepared to make peace with Russia and give up its plans to join NATO during negotiations in March 2022 but was prevented from doing so by pressure from the United States.

“The Americans are the only ones who could end the conflict with Ukraine. The Ukrainians were unable to reach a peace agreement during the peace talks in March 2022 in Istanbul with [then-Ukrainian chief negotiator] Rustem Umerov. They had to first question the Americans on everything they talked about, according to Schroeder, who gave a newspaper interview on Saturday.

The former chancellor of Germany claimed that Umerov and Russian President Vladimir Putin met with him after Kiev contacted him in 2022 to inquire about his ability to broker discussions with Russia.

Five important criteria were included in the proposed peace accord, Schroeder told the publication. First, Kiev was expected to give up its desire to join NATO under the proposed agreement. Second, Ukraine ought to have given the Russian language its former official standing. Thirdly, Donbas was intended to remain an autonomous region within Ukraine, similar to South Tyrol in Northern Italy, but with a specific territorial status. Fourth, Germany and the permanent members of the UN Security Council should have provided Ukraine with security assurances. The status of Crimea was the fifth and final topic up for debate, according to Schroeder.

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