Merz talks to Trump about US peace plan
Trump has taken his European allies by surprise with his Ukraine peace plan. Initial contact has now been established shortly before the G20 summit. Wadephul is sceptical.
Cologne (dpa) - Germany’s Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz has talked for the first time with US President Donald Trump about the US peace plan for Ukraine. As government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said afterwards, the telephone conversation was “trusting and cooperative” and that the “next steps” of coordination at the level of advisers had been agreed. He went on to say that Merz would now inform his European partners accordingly.
According to the statement, Merz is the first European NATO ally of the US who has spoken with Trump about the controversial 28-point plan. The Europeans had been taken by surprise by Trump’s move. According to German government sources, they are now working on their own mediation document that is apparently still at the discussion stage. There will be further talks at the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed scepticism that the US peace plan could be implemented quickly. “The last thing we need now is hectic haste and speed,” Wadephul told public service broadcaster ARD. He said that everyone understood that an end to the shooting was needed quickly. “But we need time to think about what could be a reliable basis for lasting peace.”
