German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is preparing to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of his scheduled meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday. Merz indicated he doesn’t anticipate a repeat of the difficulties experienced during Zelenskyy’s previous White House visit.
“We will have another detailed discussion with Volodymyr Zelenskyy tomorrow afternoon. We will also offer advice, as he has requested it. He has seen that my meeting with Donald Trump proceeded very differently from his. We have already discussed this extensively and will do so again tomorrow afternoon. We will jointly offer him some good advice” the Chancellor stated.
Merz highlighted the importance of preparation for a forthcoming meeting involving the three leaders. “This meeting requires thorough preparation, with initial documents on the table. The day after tomorrow represents another step towards a larger meeting, which will eventually take place between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy and he needs to be well prepared for that. We are assisting him to the best of our ability” he added.
Despite a lack of immediate breakthroughs following the recent summit in Alaska, the Chancellor expressed satisfaction with the ongoing coordination and dialogue with the U.S. President. “I am grateful for the good alignment we have achieved with Donald Trump. We have held intensive consultations this week, including amongst European leaders. We issued a joint statement by European heads of state and government this morning. It’s a positive development that we have a shared assessment of the situation” he noted.
Merz emphasized the close communication with international counterparts. “I am in close contact not only with Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, but also with many other European heads of state and government. We share a common position and a common opinion, which we are conveying to Donald Trump. It is therefore important that we maintain this line and closely accompany the arduous work on an agreement, specifically advising President Zelenskyy on the steps he should take and what Ukraine should be prepared to offer” the Chancellor said.
Looking ahead to the summit, Merz acknowledged a potential “protocolary elevation” of Vladimir Putin’s standing. He stated that President Trump is aware of this potential perception. “President Trump has, quite literally and figuratively, rolled out the red carpet for Putin. But the crucial question now is what lies at the end of that red carpet? And a solution must be a contractual one, a peace treaty. On the path to that, the weapons must eventually fall silent” Merz said on Saturday.
The Chancellor also pointed to a perceived lack of respect from the Russian President. “The fact that Ukraine continued to be bombarded during this meeting in Anchorage demonstrates the disrespect with which Putin ultimately proceeds” Merz concluded.
