Berlin, Aug 20: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz credited US President Donald Trump for persuading Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expected within the next two weeks.Merz, part of a delegation of European leaders who travelled to Washington to support Zelenskyy, said the phone call between Trump and Putin was a crucial step. “During a break in the meeting, the American president spoke with the Russian president on the phone and agreed that there would be a meeting between the Russian president and the Ukrainian president within the next two weeks,” Merz told reporters.
Merz also emphasised that Trump planned to extend a subsequent invitation for a trilateral meeting to “truly begin” negotiations. “We don’t know whether the Russian president will have the courage to attend such a summit. Therefore, persuasion is needed,” he said.
The German chancellor praised the European leaders’ unified front and stressed the importance of including all of Europe in providing security guarantees for Ukraine. “It is absolutely clear that the whole of Europe should participate,” Merz said, noting that the United States is also prepared to contribute.