Merz: End to war only with consent of Ukraine and Europe
The new US peace plan for Ukraine is dominating negotiations on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa.
Johannesburg (dpa) - On the sidelines of the G20 summit, Germany’s Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stressed that without Ukraine’s consent there can be no end to the war there. “Wars cannot be ended by major powers over the heads of the countries affected,” he said in the South African city of Johannesburg in response to the new US peace plan. “There can of course only be an end to the war if Ukraine gives its unconditional consent.”
Europe’s consent is also needed, said Merz. “If Ukraine loses this war and possibly collapses, it will have an impact on European politics as a whole, on the entire European continent.” The chancellor admitted however that there was currently an opportunity to end the war. But that “we are still quite a long way” from a good outcome for everyone. Merz said that he had also made this clear when he talked to US President Donald Trump on the phone on Friday evening.
