German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged US President Donald Trump not to take any unexpected steps during his anticipated talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine, scheduled to take place next week in China.
Speaking in Dublin on Friday, Merz expressed concern that the meeting between the two leaders could repeat the situation surrounding their summit in Anchorage, Alaska, which European leaders had viewed as a significant moment in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported.
“Some people here in Dublin fear that this could turn into a second Anchorage moment,” Merz said.
He then addressed Washington directly, urging the United States to remain firmly aligned with Europe and Ukraine.
“Therefore, I want to make our message to the United States very clear: please, no surprises. Continue to play on Team Europe and Team Ukraine,” the German chancellor said.
Merz is seeking to secure support from European Union leaders for Ukraine as part of discussions on the bloc’s long-term budget. He said his proposal had received broad backing, although an agreement on the matter remains some way off.
Following meetings between US and Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi this week, the German chancellor warned that substantive peace negotiations were expected to begin in the coming weeks. According to Merz, European representatives would participate in those discussions for the first time.
Merz also rejected Russia’s demands that Europe’s security architecture be placed at the centre of the negotiations, arguing that the issue had already been defined through NATO.
“The upcoming discussions must focus on one key question: within what framework can Ukraine’s security be guaranteed once peace is achieved? But first, we must actually achieve that peace,” Merz added.
