German Chancellor says they won’t act as go-between for Ukraine and Putin
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Photo: Getty Images)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has rejected calls from the Bundestag to hold direct talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, according to stern.de.
He stated that negotiations should primarily take place between Ukraine and Russia.
“These are the two warring parties. We are not acting as mediators here,” Merz said.
According to Merz, Germany is closely following these negotiations with strong support and firmly hopes they will conclude as quickly as possible.
Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil added that, for now, the talks are primarily taking place between Ukraine and Russia.
“The question of whether, and when, the time will come for European heads of state and government to speak directly with Putin again will be decided later,” Klingbeil said.
He also emphasized that he does not see such direct dialogue happening at the moment.
Background
Adis Ahmetović, the SPD parliamentary foreign policy spokesperson, told Süddeutsche Zeitung that direct talks between Friedrich Merz and Putin should take place.
He argued that this is necessary because the current negotiations have made only minimal progress, and Europeans are not at the discussion table. The politician emphasized that this cannot continue and that new approaches are needed.
The next round of talks on ending the war in Ukraine is scheduled for February 1 in Abu Dhabi.
According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the meeting will be strictly bilateral between Russia and Ukraine, with no participation from US President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff or the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
