German leader Friedrich Merz said he has no immediate plans to hold phone talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The chancellor also complained that such contacts in the past have not led to a de-escalation of Russia's war against Ukraine.
Points of attention
- The Chancellor recalls past instances where negotiations with Putin resulted in further aggression, such as the heavy bombing of Kyiv and a children's hospital after visits and phone calls with other leaders.
- Merz acknowledges US President Trump's growing skepticism towards Putin and believes there is a shared consensus in Europe about the assessment of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Merz rejected Putin's offer
After the Russian dictator's address, Merz decided to recall the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Putin in July 2024, as well as the telephone conversations of former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with the illegitimate head of the Kremlin.
The last visit of the Hungarian Prime Minister to Moscow was met by Russia with heavy bombing of Kyiv and a hospital. The last phone conversation with my predecessor was followed by the bombing of a children's hospital. So if this is the result of such phone calls, I would refrain from them for a long time.
Friedrich Merz
Chancellor of Germany
Journalists also asked the German leader whether he believed that US President Donald Trump was distancing himself from Putin.
According to Mertz, the head of the White House is demonstrating increasing skepticism and becoming more critical.
"This is a process. There is a great deal of consensus in Europe on the assessment of this war. I believe that President Trump is approaching this assessment," the German Chancellor believes.
As Merz noted, he sees no point in negotiations with Putin if they do not lead to an end to Russia's war against Ukraine.
