Wadephul warns Putin against playing 'for time' in Ukraine war

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Monday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in swift negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while also threatening further sanctions against Moscow.

"If President Putin thinks he can play for time, he will have miscalculated," Wadephul said during a meeting with his Croatian counterpart, Gordan Grlić Radman, in the capital Zagreb.

Wadephul emphasized that pressure must continue to be applied to Russia, adding that the European Union is preparing its 19th sanctions package against the country.

It is now up to Putin to prove that he is genuinely willing to work towards a just peace, Wadephul said.

"Based on everything we see, there are significant doubts about this." He noted that Ukraine has already made a concession by being willing to negotiate without further preconditions.

At the same time, Wadephul stressed that "it is clear that there will be no negotiations over the heads of Ukrainians. That is our shared European promise."

He assured Ukraine that "we will continue to support them politically, economically and militarily."

Croatia demands peace without violent border changes

Radman also pledged continued European support for Ukraine on its path to a just and lasting peace, without any changes to its borders through violence.

"We know that any other scenario would have negative consequences for the security of South-East Europe and particularly the Western Balkans." Croatia understands that only a just peace can be enduring.

"Other solutions that reward the aggressor carry the potential for further expansionist tendencies and instability, both in Europe and globally," Radman said.