Merz at the inauguration ceremony of the Pope

Rome (dpa) – On the sidelines of the Pope’s inauguration, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz held further talks aimed at advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine. At St Peter’s Basilica he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Earlier in the morning he held talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.  

Later in the evening, Merz was also scheduled to hold a joint call with French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and US President Donald Trump to coordinate ahead of Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.  

“We can only hope that further progress will now be made,” said Merz. “And my clear impression is that both the Europeans and the Americans are determined to work together – now in a more results-oriented way – to help bring this terrible war to an end as soon as possible.” 

Merz described the inauguration itself as an “uplifting moment”. A Catholic himself, he attended the mass alongside tens of thousands of worshippers and senior representatives from around 150 countries. He wished Pope Leo XIV “wisdom and good fortune” in what he intends to do as head of the Catholic Church.