German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, will only initiate negotiations regarding the war against Ukraine when it aligns with his own interests. The politician made this remark in an interview released on September 2 on the YouTube channel :newstime, a joint project of three leading German broadcasters.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Economic Pressure as a Key Factor
According to Merz, the Russian authorities are currently interested in continuing hostilities, as they see it as beneficial for themselves and are trying to expand the territories under their control. He emphasized that only increased economic pressure could compel the Kremlin to seek pathways to peace.
“From a military standpoint, this will be difficult, but from an economic perspective, it is possible. We must ensure that Russia does not have the means to sustain a military economy,” said Friedrich Merz.
Prospects for Ending the War and Diplomacy
The German Chancellor noted that to achieve a ceasefire or sign a peace agreement, the appropriate preconditions must be established. He stressed that economic pressure could play a decisive role in this process.
At the end of August, Friedrich Merz had already emphasized that the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine could drag on for many months. For the governments of Germany and France, he identified the preservation of the international coalition of willing partners, which continues to provide assistance to Ukraine, as a priority.
On August 28, Merz also stated that a meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, is unlikely to take place in the near future.