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Friedrich Merz: Russia Delaying Putin–Zelenskyy Meeting with Preconditions

Moscow is deliberately stalling the scheduling of a meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by tying it to unacceptable preconditions, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday. Speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Merz emphasized that the ball is now in Moscow’s court. “Putin considers it right to link this meeting with preconditions which, in Ukraine’s and in our view – in my personal view – are absolutely unacceptable,” Merz stated. He added that if Russia does not take the necessary step, more pressure will be required, noting that the European Union is already preparing additional sanctions. Merz also pointed out that if the meeting agreed upon by U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin does not take place, responsibility will again fall on Europe and the United States. According to him, a trilateral discussion between Zelenskyy, Putin, and Trump would be a “logical next step” toward a possible peace settlement. Canadian Prime Minister Carney echoed this view, stressing that Putin fears a personal meeting with Zelenskyy and is therefore delaying it. “Canada will contribute to ensuring peace and security in Ukraine,” Carney pledged. He underlined that these goals can only be achieved through strength, sanctions against Russia, and further reinforcement of Ukraine’s army. Another key factor, Carney said, is credible security guarantees. As reported earlier, President Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Trump at the White House on August 18. Zelenskyy expressed hope that American and European leaders would help find a diplomatic path to end the war and looked forward to a trilateral summit with Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia. Merz noted that a bilateral Putin–Zelenskyy meeting could take place within the next two weeks. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on August 22 that Putin was ready for talks with Zelenskyy only if a detailed summit plan was in place — which, for now, is not prepared. The post Friedrich Merz: Russia Delaying Putin–Zelenskyy Meeting with Preconditions appeared first on Freedom.