The US and Russia will not be able to independently agree on ending the war against Ukraine without the participation of Kyiv and European states. Any peace settlement must take into account Ukraine's position, and Europe must participate in discussing future security guarantees.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this on Tuesday, October 27, during a speech at the Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, Reuters reports.
The German chancellor warned against a situation where Ukraine's fate might be determined in negotiations between Russia, the US, and possibly China without the direct participation of the Ukrainian side.
According to Merz, these states may negotiate among themselves, but a sustainable solution cannot be reached without Ukraine. Therefore, Germany, together with European partners, is working on creating a negotiation format in which Ukraine, Russia, the US, and European countries are represented at the same table.
The chancellor paid special attention to security guarantees that should become part of a possible peace agreement. He emphasized that European states will inevitably be involved in providing them after a ceasefire or the end of the war.
"As soon as it comes to security guarantees after a ceasefire or the end of this war, Europeans are involved. Whether they want it or not," Merz noted.
The chancellor said that much more diplomatic consultations are currently being held than becomes known to the public. According to him, Germany and other European states are trying to find an acceptable format for dialogue with the Russian leadership.
In particular, Norway and Finland are playing a constructive role in these efforts. Their leaders held telephone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 27, urging him to stop the war against Ukraine.
At the same time, Merz placed responsibility for the continuation of the war directly on the Russian president. In his assessment, the decision to end hostilities ultimately depends on Putin.
"As long as he does not want to end this war, we will support Ukraine," the German chancellor said.
Merz also stressed that European support for Kyiv is driven not only by the need to protect Ukraine's territorial integrity. According to him, the consequences of Russian aggression affect the security foundations of the entire European continent.
The chancellor explained that European states are protecting not only Ukraine but also Europe's political order. It is precisely this that he cited as justification for continuing large-scale German assistance to Kyiv.
Earlier, on October 22, Merz already stated that lasting peace in Ukraine is impossible without the full participation of European countries. At that time, the chancellor emphasized that Germany supports diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the war, but agreements should not be made without taking into account the interests of Ukraine and its European partners.
Berlin's position was voiced amid preparations for a new stage of international consultations on ending the Russian-Ukrainian war. In particular, discussion continues on trilateral technical-level talks between Ukraine, the US, and Russia, which may take place in the first half of November.
At previous meetings, representatives of Ukraine, the US, and European states discussed territorial issues, future security guarantees, sanctions, and Ukraine's economic prospects after the war.
At the same time, the specific composition of future negotiations with Russia, the participation of European representatives, and the final parameters of a possible agreement have not yet been agreed upon.
Based on materials from: Reuters, German government, Ukrinform.
