The new Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, said that an agreement could be reached within the next two days. He said this at a press conference in Brussels, quoted by "BBC", writes BTA.
He said that given the three-day ceasefire announced by Russia, there was a "high probability" that it would be extended to 30 days, after which "negotiations for a peace agreement could begin".
Earlier, Ukraine did not agree to a ceasefire from May 8 to 10 and demanded a longer pause in hostilities - for 30 days. The US proposal also provides for a 30-day ceasefire.
Merz expressed hope that these conditions would be accepted by the Russian side. "The ball is completely in Moscow's court", the chancellor noted.
Efforts to secure an agreed ceasefire in Ukraine are moving in the right direction, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Friday, shortly after speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Finnish Minister Stubb spoke after holding two calls in the past 24 hours with Zelensky and one with Trump as fighting on the ground continued.
"I feel cautiously optimistic that at this particular moment we are moving in the right direction, both militarily on the ground, as Zelensky indicated, and in terms of the ceasefire and the peace process," Stubb said at a press conference with his Norwegian counterpart and after a meeting of the leaders of northern European countries in Oslo.
"We cannot give an exact timetable now, but in an ideal world a ceasefire in Ukraine would be announced in weekend."