Germany looks to India to help get Russia to Ukraine peace talks. Israelis protest for an end to war and return of hostages. As Thailand plans a border fence, Thai and Cambodian activists call for peace.
Germany Looks to India to Help Get Russia to Ukraine Peace Talks
In the midst of the ever-growing dispair towards the peace process between Russia and Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is calling on India to pressure its ally, Russia, to attend peace talks over Ukraine.
During his two-day trip to India, Wadephul told media on September 3 that efforts by Europe and the US have not brought Russia to negotiations, and that India could possibly address this, The Associated Press reported.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, India has resisted Western pressure to denounce Russia or boycott its exports. Meanwhile, the UK defence secretary says UK and its allies are ready to back Ukraine before negotiations to end the war as well as to secure an eventual peace deal, BBC reports.
After the United States-Russia summit in Alaska on August 15, 2025, hope for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia remain low. The summit did not achieve a ceasefire as it intended to, and violence has picked up. To read PNN’s full report on the situation, click here.
Israelis Protest for an End to War and Return of Hostages.
In Jerusalem, Israelis are protesting an end to the war in Gaza, and a return of the hostages. Protesters gathered on the night of September 3 for a ‘Day of Disruption,’ calling on the government to bring back the 48 hostages still being held in Gaza.
Members of the crowd included families of hostages who marched from the Knesset to the prime minister’s residence. One mother of a hostage said that decision makers “are betraying the army, are sending soldiers to fight and die.” She called for the public to join the protests behind one key goal, “Stopping the war and returning everyone, down to the last hostage.” There were intense clashes between some protesters and police.
Last week, Pope Leo XIV is raised his voice for peace in Gaza. The pope joined Jerusalem’s Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs joint appeal for an end to the the war in the strip, and for humanitarian aid to flow freely there. The patriarchs released the appeal on August 26.
As Thailand Plans a Border Fence, Thai and Cambodian Activists Call for Peace
Thailand’s Ad Hoc Centre for the Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation (AHC) this week approved plans to build a 16-kilometer fence along the disputed border with Cambodia. The governor of Sa Kaeo province said the fence would help with security after reports that Cambodians were encroaching on the forest area.
But Thai and Cambodian activists are calling for peace and solidarity between the people of both countries, particularly migrant workers. Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand and Thai migrant workers in Cambodia have faced violence and discrimination since the conflict escalated in recent months. Activists are now sending messages to people in both countries saying “Please don’t use violence on Cambodian or Thai migrant workers,” Prachatai English reported.
The activists are calling for educational and other sectors of society to stop teaching biases and stereotypes, and instead teach healing, empathy, and “racial tolerance.”
Keywords: Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Thailand, Cambodia, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, peace news
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
