Europe and Ukraine must participate directly in all talks on ending the war, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin.
“If Ukraine is being discussed, then the president of Ukraine must be at the table. From my point of view, it is completely unacceptable for third countries to discuss Ukraine’s fate without Ukraine itself participating,” Merz said.
The meeting in the German capital took place against the backdrop of renewed efforts by Donald Trump’s administration to achieve an agreed end to the full-scale war. The United States is expected to mediate a new round of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
Criticism of the invitation to Putin
Merz also sharply criticized the decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami in December. According to the German Chancellor, such a move risks leaving Ukraine out of discussions about its future.
“If President Trump decides to invite the Russian president, then Ukraine must be the first topic for discussion,” Merz said. He added that Kyiv must be represented whenever issues directly affecting it are discussed.
The German Chancellor said that Europe must also have a place in the process. European leaders have long feared that a possible agreement between Washington and Moscow could be reached without the participation of the European countries and under conditions that would put Ukraine at a disadvantage.
Talks on post-war reconstruction
Meanwhile, the European Commission is expected to hold talks with representatives of the United States, Ukraine and key European allies on post-war reconstruction and Ukraine’s economic future.
Zelensky also insisted that decisions on his country’s European future cannot be made solely by the United States and Russia. “The United States and Russia, with all due respect to the United States, cannot decide whether Ukraine will become a member of the European Union,” the Ukrainian president said. According to him, this requires the support of the European countries.
Merz and Zelensky’s statements outlined a common position on one of the key issues surrounding the future negotiations: any agreement on the war and Ukraine’s post-war order must be discussed with the participation of Kyiv and Europe.
Sources: politico.eu