Peace through negotiation?
Populists from both the right and the left (AfD, Marine Le Pen, The Left Party, Sarah Wagenknecht, and others) reject arms deliveries to support Ukraine and instead demand negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The idea that peace can only be achieved through negotiations also has a strong influence within the peace movement and churches—a stance that has undeniably shaped the 2024 Peace Report presented by peace and conflict research institutes (BICC, IFSH, INEF, PRIF). This report culminates in the recommendation to strengthen the international order and prepare for negotiations—a view that, according to Prof. Dr. Christopher Daase (PRIF), was also presented in the media by representatives of the report.
Prof. Dr. Christopher Daase, Frankfurt
Informal representative of German peace and conflict research
However, if an actor thinks consistently in terms of power logic (like Hitler or Putin), then only power criteria such as gaining, maintaining, or losing power count for them. They are therefore only willing to engage in substantive negotiations if they can thereby expand their power, for example, by securing conquered territories, or if they accept negotiations due to strong resistance. Trying to persuade an aggressive actor to make peace without sufficient resistance is, on the other hand, a farce. Therefore, offers of negotiation without adequately strengthening the attacked party do not serve peace; on the contrary, they make wars of aggression and thus aggressive action appear legitimate and thereby further reinforce the propensity of aggressive actors for war—precisely the opposite of what is being propagated. For more details, see: Supplementing and Criticizing the 2024 Peace Report (Lauritsen/Prittwitz).