EU hands US Ukraine plan: Merz reveals key details from Trump talks
Photo: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (GettyImages)
The European side has submitted proposals to the US regarding a peace plan for Ukraine, and active negotiations with Washington may begin in the coming days, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says at a press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
According to Merz, an extensive telephone conversation took place the day before with US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and himself. During the conversation, the parties discussed further steps regarding the political process surrounding Ukraine.
The Chancellor specifies that the EU had sent Washington a document with proposals, in particular regarding possible territorial concessions by Ukraine. However, he stresses that such issues should be decided exclusively by the Ukrainian president and people.
"The main issue here is what territorial concessions Ukraine is prepared to make. However, this is a question that must be answered primarily by the (...) Ukrainian president and the Ukrainian people, as we also made clear to President Trump," Merz says.
The European side expects that discussions with the US administration could start as early as this weekend. A meeting in Berlin early next week is also being considered. According to the Chancellor, the participation of the American delegation will depend on how much progress is made on the documents in the coming days.
Merz adds that during his conversation with Trump, he received a signal that the US is ready to move forward in negotiations with its European partners.
"And if we now proceed with this process as we envisage, there will be talks with the US over the weekend. And then, there may be a meeting here in Berlin at the beginning of next week. Whether or not the US will participate depends very much on the joint drafting of the documents," he says.
Background
The day before, the US President told reporters that on Wednesday afternoon, he had a telephone conversation with the leaders of Germany, France, and the UK regarding the situation in Ukraine.
Trump noted that the conversation took place in a rather harsh tone.
"We discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words, and we'll see what happens. I mean, we're waiting to hear answers before we progress," he says.
European leaders briefed Donald Trump on the current situation in Ukraine and assured him that intensive work on a peace plan would continue in the coming days.
The next meeting between Starmer, Macron, and Merz is scheduled for Monday, December 15, in Berlin.
