The proposal for Ukraine’s territorial concessions for a peace agreement was conveyed to President Donald Trump, announces the German Chancellor. According to Friedrich Merz, this took place after a phone call he and other European leaders had with the US president on December 10.
“For the most part, it’s about what territorial concessions Ukraine would be willing to accept”, Merz stated in a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, reports DW.
The German Chancellor emphasized that the final answer to this question can only be provided by the President of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, and that “it would be a mistake to force the President of Ukraine to accept a peace that his people, after four years of suffering and loss of human lives, will not accept”. In addition, Merz described the conversation with Trump as constructive, but noted that “Europe will not allow anyone to divide it”.
New negotiations with US representatives are planned for this weekend, and an international meeting on the subject of Ukraine “could take place at the beginning of next week”, Friedrich Merz further stated.
Previously, Trump expressed his impatience towards Ukraine, as well as towards his main European allies – Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. “We discussed Ukraine in quite harsh terms”, the US president characterized his phone conversation with Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. What he meant by “harsh terms”, Trump did not specify, notes DW.