Merz-Putin talks: Do Germans support idea?
Photo: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Getty Images)
A majority of Germans support the idea of direct talks between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Russian President Vladimir Putin, n-tv reports.
Read also: Macron urges EU to reopen dialogue with Russia without pressuring Ukraine
The outlet published results of a YouGov poll showing that 58% of German citizens tend to or fully support holding negotiations between Merz and Putin. Meanwhile, 26% of respondents said they oppose the idea.
The highest level of support for such talks was recorded among voters of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). According to the poll, 64% of Merz’s party supporters back the idea. The lowest level of support for negotiations between the German Chancellor and the Russian leader was found among supporters of The Left party, at 47%.
The idea of talks with Putin
Recently, Merz said the European Union is always ready to engage in talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, but stressed that these must not involve "parallel channels of communication".
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested he could make contact with Putin in the coming weeks. He did not rule out holding talks amid ongoing discussions on security and the war in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sharply reacted to Macron’s remarks about possible dialogue with Putin, saying such signals were merely performative and aimed at an external audience.
At the same time, Macron’s chief diplomatic adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, visited Moscow, where he held confidential meetings with representatives of the Russian leadership.
The purpose of the visit was Paris’s effort to secure Europe’s participation in negotiations on the future security architecture and the process of ending the war in Ukraine.
