German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heading to Washington along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders to participate in talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, scheduled for August 18.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Key Participants and Purpose of the Visit
The European delegation accompanying Zelensky is expected to include several influential politicians. Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed her attendance at the talks. Additionally, according to information released by Politico, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who have established personal contacts with Trump, may join the delegation.
The main purpose of the trip is to discuss peace initiatives, security issues, Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and further support from Western partners. According to a spokesperson for the German federal government, the visit will take place following Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Possible Trilateral Summit and Security Guarantees
According to Axios, during a phone conversation, Donald Trump proposed holding a trilateral summit involving Zelensky and Putin on August 22. However, there is currently no official confirmation of Putin’s participation in such a meeting.
“Tomorrow, I will go to Washington with President Zelensky and other European heads of state and government. We will exchange views with U.S. President Trump on the state of peace efforts, security guarantees, territorial issues, and further support for Ukraine,” Merz wrote on social media.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that Russia continues to complicate the situation by refusing to cease fire and launching strikes on Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, Donald Trump stated after his talks with Putin on August 15 that he aims to achieve not just a ceasefire but a comprehensive peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side stresses that it does not plan to withdraw troops from the controlled territories of Donbas, despite Moscow’s demands, which have become one of the main conditions for reaching peace agreements. Additionally, the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine is being discussed. Media reports indicate that Trump proposed security guarantee models similar to NATO’s Article Five. This means that in the event of new aggression, the guarantor countries are obligated to provide military support to Ukraine.