German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz said that Berlin, together with European partners, is working to convince Russia to accept a longer truce without nominating new conditions. He announced this at a press conference in Kyiv following a visit with the leaders of France, Great Britain and Poland.
“We, together with France, Great Britain, Poland and Ukraine, were well prepared for this meeting. Before and after the negotiations, we kept in the course of US President Donald Trump, and are grateful to him for the full support of this initiative,” Mertz said.
He emphasized that the next step could be an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. “If Russia rejects this proposal, the pressure on it will be increased,” he added.
Mertz again confirmed the adherence to the support of Ukraine, saying that this is done not only for the sake of Kyiv, but also for the sake of European interests. “This war does not just threatens the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It seeks to destroy the entire political order of Europe. Therefore, we are on the side of Ukraine,” he stressed.
According to the Chancellor, if the initiative fails, the EU is ready to impose new sanctions against Moscow. He assured that the German government will support any efforts aimed at the speedy completion of the conflict.
“Our presence here is a clear and powerful signal: we are ready to do our best to complete this war as soon as possible,” he said.
Before leaving Kyiv, Mertz expressed a careful optimism about the possible cessation of hostilities. “The war should stop. I believe that now we have a small but chance,” he said in an interview with the German media.
He noted that Donald Trump supported the European initiative, which, in his opinion, gives the proposals additional force.
Mertz described the visit to Kyiv as “the largest diplomatic initiative of the last months” in order to achieve the termination of the conflict.
By the morning of the same day, the German Chancellor, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Kir Starkmer and the head of the Polish government Donald Tusk arrived in Kyiv to express full support to Ukraine. In a joint statement, the leaders expressed solidarity with the appeal of US President Trump for a peace agreement and proposed to Russia an “unconditional 30-day truce” as a first step towards establishing a fair and sustainable world.