Merz: Talks with Russia will yield no result without Kyiv and Europe

Berlin's position on the peace process

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasised that any initiatives by the United States and Russia to cease hostilities in Ukraine will remain fruitless if Ukraine itself is not involved. In his words, the negotiation process must take place with the participation not only of the two key players, but also of European countries.

Speech in Singapore

These statements were made during Merz's speech at the Yusof Ishak Institute, located in Singapore. There, the German leader characterised the current diplomatic efforts aimed at creating a format for dialogue with Moscow.

Merz stated that the final outcome in the matter of ending the conflict depends "only on one person". He emphasised that further support for Ukraine is not just a question of protecting its territorial integrity, but also a "defence of the European political order".

Warnings regarding scenarios without Kyiv

The German Chancellor expressed the view that as long as Putin does not want to end the war, Germany and the rest of Europe will continue to support Kyiv. Merz stressed the necessity of Russia, Ukraine, the US, and European states being present at the negotiating table.

He warned against the implementation of a scenario in which "Russia, possibly China, and the United States of America" would end the war without Ukraine's participation. According to Merz, Berlin and other European capitals are actively working on establishing a format for negotiations with the Russian authorities. He paid particular attention to the role of Norway and Finland, which, in his opinion, are playing a "very constructive role" in these efforts.