German Chancellor Friedrich Merz today called for the immediate start of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, saying that the time has come to “end the killings“, quoted by DPA, BTA reports.
Speaking at a conference dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukraine in the Polish city of Gdansk, Merz said that Europe and the transatlantic alliance are ready to further increase pressure on the struggling Russian economy.
“Russia will not win this war”, Merz said. "The time has come to start negotiations, to freeze the front line and to end the killings," he added.
Merz also said that support for Ukraine, which has resisted Russian forces for more than four years, remains an "unwavering commitment" for Germany.
Previous talks to end the conflict, led by the United States, have failed.
Leading European countries are now looking for a way to resume negotiations without being excluded from the process again.
However, Moscow has repeatedly stated that it does not want to negotiate with the Europeans and continues to insist on fulfilling its maximalist conditions, including significant territorial concessions, which Ukraine has consistently rejected.
The Conference on the Restoration of Ukraine is being hosted by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Ukrainian counterpart Yulia Sviridenko. The meeting is also attended by the EU, the G7 and other institutions such as the World Bank, as well as numerous representatives of companies.
President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on defense cooperation, including equipment supplies and support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukrinform reported, citing a statement by the Ukrainian president on Telegram.
"I spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is currently in Gdansk for the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine. This is an important signal of support and I am grateful for it," Zelensky wrote.
The Ukrainian president noted that the conversation focused on defense cooperation and joint efforts to strengthen Ukraine and protect civilians from Russian attacks, including supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces.
"It is clear to everyone that it is Russia that is prolonging the war and ignoring all diplomatic proposals from Ukraine. That is why we must work as actively as possible to strengthen our country and our people. We also agreed on our next personal contacts," Zelensky added.
The EU Council announced that today it had adopted a decision to extend economic sanctions against Russia for one year over the war in Ukraine.
The decision is related to the agreements of the last meeting of the European Council last week, the statement noted. The economic measures against Moscow were adopted in 2014 and expanded several times after February 2022, covering key areas - trade, finance, energy and dual-use technologies.
These sanctions banned the import or transfer by sea of crude oil from Russia to the EU, transactions of several financial institutions and crypto service providers in Russia and in other countries, and suspended the activities and licenses of several Kremlin-backed disinformation media channels.
The EU is ready to take additional measures as long as the Russian Federation continues its illegal actions and violations of international law, the statement added.
As BTA reported, today the Irish permanent representative in Brussels expressed the expectation that new sanctions against Russia will be adopted within days. Ireland takes over the presidency of the Council of the EU from July 1.