German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made clear that Russia must commit to a ceasefire before any negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine can take place.

Source: German news agency dpa, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Merz said on Sunday 11 May that a ceasefire agreement should precede further talks between Russia and Ukraine.

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“We expect from Moscow that it will agree to a ceasefire now, that will then allow serious conversations,” Merz said in Berlin following his first visit to Kyiv. “First the weapons must go silent, then conversations can begin.”

Merz noted that Ukraine had long ago agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.

“It is a positive sign that the Russian side has signalled a readiness to talk,” he said. “But it is nowhere near enough.”

Background:

  • French President Emmanuel Macron has described a proposal by Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin for direct talks in Istanbul as a “first step” but stressed that “it is not enough”.

  • During a visit to Kyiv on 10 May, the leaders of the coalition of the willing demanded that Russia agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting 12 May. They expressed readiness to ramp up sanctions, which would be coordinated by Europe and the United States, should Moscow reject the demand.

  • Following the latest meeting of the coalition of the willing, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of four European countries – Germany, France, Poland, and the UK – held a phone call with Trump.

  • Putin has not responded to the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire but said he is ready for direct talks with Kyiv in Istanbul on Thursday 15 May.

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