The federal government has affirmed that Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is, in principle, open to holding discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, although there are currently no concrete plans in place for such a meeting.
Vice government spokesman Steffen Meyer told the dts Nachrichtenagentur on Monday that “having a conversation about the desire for a conversation does not make sense.” While the government has always stated that it is “naturally fundamentally ready” for such a meeting, Meyer stressed that it must be meaningful. He stated that dialogue is only appropriate if it takes place “on a reasonable basis, in a suitable setting, and with clear objectives and at a certain level of parity between the parties.” He added that when the time comes, the Chancellor will seize that moment. The government is unwilling to engage in purely superficial discussions.
Merz had recently adopted a changed tone regarding a potential meeting with Putin, stating at a Westfalenpost event that a German Chancellor eventually needs to talk to Putin. Such a encounter could potentially happen, for instance, at the G20 summit in Miami in mid-December. However, Merz cautioned that any such meeting requires thorough preparation. Up until now, it has been commonly reported from the Chancellor’s circle that the necessary conditions for a dialogue with Putin have not yet been met.
