Wadephul: Franco-German Lebanon Initiative

Beyond Lebanon, Wadephul also spoke out in favor of new negotiations on the Ukraine war and the conflict with Iran. He pointed to "das militärische Phänomen eines letzten Aufbäumens, bevor man in Verhandlungen geht" and expressed "begründete Hoffnung, dass es die Chance gibt, in Richtung einer Lösung zu kommen". In his assessment, the recent increase in violence does not rule out negotiations.

Ukraine and Iran: Call for New Negotiations

"Wir sollten jetzt einen sehr ernsthaften Versuch unternehmen, beide Konflikte beizulegen", Wadephul said. The conflicts would be decided "nicht auf dem Schlachtfeld, sondern am Verhandlungstisch - je eher, desto besser für die Menschen".

At the same time, Wadephul commented on the recent attacks by Russia and Iran around the NATO summit: "Ich könnte mir gut vorstellen, dass wir das gerade so etwas erleben, weil die jüngsten Angriffe Russlands und des Iran zeitlich rund um den Nato-Gipfel sicher kein Zufall waren und eine vermeintliche Stärke demonstrieren sollten."

European Capacity to Act

The minister also used the interview to call for a stronger foreign-policy capacity to act on the part of Europe. "Europa müsse handlungsfähiger werden", he said, pointing to the so-called "Kompetenzwirrwarr" in EU foreign policy that Berlin and Paris wanted to resolve together. This tied in with a long-discussed call for clearer responsibilities between the EU institutions.

Wadephul announced further joint initiatives with France without naming them. The Lebanon initiative is part of broader Franco-German cooperation that is to be discussed at the upcoming Ministerial Council. Both governments hope this will give them more weight in international mediation efforts.

Background and Reactions

Observers see the move as a signal to the international community that Berlin and Paris want to deepen their foreign-policy coordination. Whether it will result in concrete measures to de-escalate the situation in Lebanon remains to be seen. The Ministerial Council is regarded as an important format in which the two governments coordinate their joint positions.

The news was disseminated on 11 July 2026 by, among others, Deutschlandfunk. The background to the initiative is the ongoing violence in Lebanon and the concern about further escalation in the region. An answer to the question of whether the initiative also includes concrete steps toward a ceasefire or humanitarian aid remained open.