A rapid peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine may be worth “more than a ceasefire,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in an interview with the German channel ZDF on Saturday (16).
Merz said that after US President Donald Trump meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday (18), a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin should take place “as soon as possible” to reach a peace agreement.
“If this happens, it will be worth more than a ceasefire that could last weeks without advances in political and diplomatic negotiations,” said Merz.
He also stated that it is “good news” that there are no territorial negotiations between Putin and Trump without the participation of Ukraine and the rest of Europe.
Europe will play a role in the conversations on Monday, he said. An employee of the White House informed the CNN that several European leaders were invited to the conversations.
However, for now, Trump will continue to play the decisive role in the conflict, said Merz.
“The American president, who then also has power, both militarily and through proper sanctions and tariffs, to ensure that Russia advances more than it is currently doing,” he said.
The German leader also said he was pleased that the US is ready to participate in safety guarantees for Ukraine.
“Now there are security guarantees on the table,” he said, “and the good news is that and won’t leave it just for Europeans.”
