German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that there are currently no grounds to believe that the war between Russia and Ukraine will end soon. According to him, the situation surrounding the conflict raises concerns for him regarding the coming days, weeks, and possibly months.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“What we are currently experiencing in Ukraine with Russia raises certain concerns for me about the coming days, weeks, and possibly months”
, the politician noted, as quoted by the publication Tagesspiegel. Merz emphasized that it is important for him that a signal is quickly sent from Germany about the intention to intensify efforts and act in coordination with European and American partners.
The Chancellor’s statement came after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following this, Trump stated that Russia and Ukraine must “immediately” begin negotiations to end the war and resolve the conflict. He also held phone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders.
Changes in U.S. Position on Involvement in the Conflict
According to the financial publication Financial Times, citing sources familiar with Trump’s discussions with European leaders, the U.S. president clearly stated that he is stepping back from involvement in the conflict and leaving Ukraine and Russia to negotiate directly. Trump also did not promise new sanctions against Russia if Putin refuses to seek peace. One individual familiar with the details of the conversation noted that the leaders were stunned and did not expect such an approach from Trump, who, according to them, “is not ready to exert significant pressure” on Putin to seriously come to the negotiating table.
These phone conversations took place after the first meeting in many years between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Istanbul, which was the first since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022.