Today, I held further telephone conversations with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and my Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. We discussed our wide-ranging and ongoing efforts to end Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and, with it, the immeasurable human suffering it is causing.

Our discussions also focused on concrete ideas that are currently under consideration. Both of my counterparts emphasised the importance of close coordination with Germany and our European partners, a responsibility that we are living up to at all levels. Especially now, with the onset of winter, the first step must be to stop attacks on energy infrastructure immediately to prevent still more people from suffering under freezing temperatures. Talks on a lasting ceasefire must then be taken up without delay.