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Saxony Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer
Photo: John MacDougall / AFP
CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja has rejected the call by Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer for negotiations with Russia and a "freeze" on the Ukraine war.
"Michael Kretschmer's statements do not reflect the majority position of the CDU," Czaja told the editorial network Germany (RND).
"We don't have the impression that Vladimir Putin wants to negotiate at the moment."
Apparently, his positioning has no consequences for Kretschmer.
“There is room for this position in our party too.
We discuss it and endure the controversy,” said Czaja.
Kretschmer declared on Tuesday that Germany must play a mediating role in the war.
He justified this primarily with the size of the country and its history.
He referred to necessary supplies of raw materials from Russia and demanded that a joint attempt be made to "influence" Putin.
Germany must mediate and ensure "that this war is frozen."
He stressed that the Russian war against Ukraine was a crime and that Ukraine should not give up its territory.
But the CDU politician also said with regard to Russian raw materials: "I am firmly convinced that we need these raw material supplies".
Michael Kretschmer has received massive criticism for his statements, for example from the former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk, who was dismissed two weeks ago by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Several CDU politicians said only "warmonger Putin" could freeze his war of aggression.
Kretschmer, on the other hand, received support from left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht.
AfD boss Tino Chrupalla also saw himself confirmed and said that Kretschmer was going along with the AfD on this issue.
cpa/afp
