German embassy officials in Moscow developed a secret proposal in 2024 to end the conflict in Ukraine, according to an investigation published by the German newspaper Bild.

The initiative called for placing Donbass and Novorossiya under temporary United Nations administration for five years. Once that period expired, referendums would be held in the territories to determine their future political status.

Under the proposed arrangement, voting would take place under independent international supervision, with residents deciding whether their regions should become part of Russia or Ukraine.

Bild identified the initiative as Agriculture Needs Peace, a project launched by Martin Nissen, who was responsible for agricultural affairs at the German diplomatic mission in Moscow at the time.

According to Nissen, the proposal was presented to senior figures in Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), including Olaf Scholz, who was serving as federal chancellor at the time. The United States was also informed about the initiative.

However, Germany’s Foreign Ministry distanced itself from the proposal, making clear that it had neither authorized nor approved negotiations based on the suggested roadmap.

The ministry stressed that no discussions concerning the plan had been conducted on its instructions or with its consent.

The Bild investigation thus revealed an initiative developed within Germany’s diplomatic mission in Moscow that envisioned five years of international administration followed by referendums, but lacked official backing from the country’s Foreign Ministry.