There will be no peace plan for Ukraine without Europe's approval - Merz 0 165

No peace plan for Ukraine can be adopted without its coordination with Europe. This statement was made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday, November 24, the day of an informal summit of EU leaders in the Angolan capital Luanda, convened to discuss the results of peace negotiations on Ukraine that took place the day before in Geneva.

"It is important for us that no peace plan for Ukraine can exist if we do not give our consent regarding issues related to European interests and European sovereignty," emphasized the head of the German government while speaking to journalists.

"Ukrainian interests are also European interests, and we want to ensure their long-term compliance together," he pointed out. In particular, according to Merz, such common interests include that Kyiv "cannot be forced into unilateral territorial concessions."

Merz on security guarantees for Ukraine

Moreover, it is important that Ukraine "can effectively defend itself against manifestations of aggression in the future." For this, it needs strong armed forces and reliable security guarantees from partners, added the German Chancellor.

At the same time, Friedrich Merz noted that U.S. President Donald Trump, during a phone call he had with him last week, expressed openness towards a jointly developed peace plan for Ukraine. "And this is exactly what representatives of Ukraine, the United States of America, and EU members achieved yesterday in Geneva," reported the German Chancellor. "We welcome that these negotiations took place in Geneva. We also welcome the interim results," he added.

Now, according to Merz, it is important to involve Russia in the negotiations. "If this is possible, then all efforts will have been justified," he indicated. At the same time, according to Friedrich Merz, he does not expect a breakthrough in the peace settlement process in Ukraine this week.