Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel urges the EU to use all diplomatic tools in dialogue with Russia and to help end the war in Ukraine, according to Politico.
“I believe that the military support we have provided so far is absolutely correct. I also believe it is right to do much more to create a deterrent effect beyond our support for Ukraine. What I regret is that, in my opinion, Europe is not using its diplomatic potential sufficiently,” Merkel said in an interview with the public television station WDR.
“It is not enough for Trump to maintain contact with Russia,” she added.
The pressure on Europe to appoint a special envoy for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine is increasing. Both Moscow and Kiev have expressed their openness to such a mediator at a time when Trump’s negotiation team is directly focused on the war between the USA and Israel with Iran.
Merkel, who was the Chancellor of Germany between 2005 and 2021, stated that she proposed the establishment of a diplomatic format between the EU and Russia during the last meeting of the European Council in October 2021, at the end of her term – four months before the onset of Russia’s total war. However, she added that this failed due to differing opinions within the bloc regarding the best way to interact with Moscow.
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