Merz open to meeting with Putin — Under one condition
Photo: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Getty Images)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is ready to meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin — but only if such a meeting could help bring an end to the war in Ukraine, according to Bild.
"If the need arises, if it would help end this war, I am ready to do a lot," he said.
However, Merz added that the priority should be to focus on achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine.
"We must see whether we can achieve the goal — a ceasefire — as early as this weekend," the chancellor added.
Visit of representatives from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland to Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and newly elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on May 10.
During his visit, Chancellor Merz may take steps to demonstrate his support for Ukraine. It is possible that this could involve continuing arms deliveries.
As a reminder, on May 6, the Bundestag elected Friedrich Merz as Germany’s new chancellor, replacing Social Democrat Olaf Scholz. The most recent contact between the German government and the Kremlin took place in November 2024, when Scholz held his first phone conversation with Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
