German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on US President Donald Trump to exert more pressure on Moscow and demanded Europe be included in Ukraine peace negotiations.
"Russia is playing for time here, and in doing so is also acting against the will of the American president. In today's talks, I called for increasing the pressure on Moscow," he told reporters after a meeting with Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
Trump knows "only a peace that Europe supports and legitimises can truly be lasting," Merz said, adding that the US president also knows that Europe's contributions to the security, reconstruction and European integration of Ukraine "are simply indispensable for this peace".
"We are not prepared to accept an agreement that is negotiated over our heads," Merz said.
Without the European Union and its close partners like the United Kingdom, "it won't work", Merz said.
Germany is now by far the most important supporter of Ukraine, militarily, financially and politically, the German chancellor said.
"My impression is that President Trump knows this very well."
The Russian economy was visibly weakened after four years of war, and the Russian military had paid an unforeseen toll in blood, Merz said.
The Russian giant stands on feet of clay, which is why efforts were needed to reach solutions that included the Europeans, he said.
Only when Washington puts pressure on Russia again will President Vladimir Putin be willing to make concessions.
The Russian war must end, "and not to give Russia a breather and then continue afterwards, but it must end once and for all", the chancellor said.
He said he was in agreement with Trump on this.
However, he also let Trump know that there were great doubts in Europe about whether Putin was really willing to agree to a peace agreement that was equally acceptable to Ukraine and Europe.
with reuters
