German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said direct talks between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy wouldn’t happen, even as the Trump administration continues to push for a peace deal.
“Unlike what had been agreed between President Trump and President Putin last week, when we were together in Washington, it is obviously not going to come to a meeting between President Zelenskyy and President Putin,” Merz told reporters before a dinner with France’s Emmanuel Macron at Fort de Brégançon, the leader’s summer residence.
Trump earlier this month, following a meeting of European leaders at the White House, said he had arranged a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, though Moscow later moved to cool expectations that such a summit would take place imminently.
Merz’s comments come after Russia launched a deadly attack on Kyiv early Thursday that killed at least 12 and damaged buildings housing the EU and British delegations. Macron was among those who condemned the attacks, which he described as “terror” and “barbarism.”
European leaders have privately expressed skepticism that Trump’s peace push with Putin will yield results, but Merz’s comment Thursday is among the strongest public expressions of doubt yet from a European leader that the peace push will work.
Merz and Macron are seeking to project unity on Ukraine as they endeavor to bridge differences on an array of other issues during their meeting, including French objections to an EU trade deal with the Mercosur bloc as well as differences over defense investment and energy.
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