Merz’s peace initiatives have faced resistance in the EU and the US
Фрідріх Мерц. Фото: DPA
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has faced serious difficulties in his attempts to advance negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The optimism that prevailed last week has quickly faded.
This is reported by Deutsche Welle.
Despite claims of “constructive” talks in Miami, no concrete agreements were reached by the parties. Diplomatic circles note that such a formula usually means a lack of real progress. Discussions of a possible contact between French President Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin also failed to yield practical results.
Expectations for Merz’s role as a key European negotiator have not materialized. Europe, the United States, and Ukraine have agreed on their positions without Russia’s involvement, but without Moscow, any peaceful settlement remains impossible.
The biggest disagreements arose around several issues. The idea of security guarantees for Ukraine modeled on NATO’s Article 5 lost support. In the US, it was perceived as an attempt to pressure Kyiv for territorial concessions, and in Berlin – as a way to influence Moscow.
The initiative for a European peacekeeping force has also stalled. Russia called it a “red line,” and Merz admitted that the Bundeswehr’s participation has not yet been determined. Washington has not supported the idea from the beginning.
There was also no agreement on using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine. Belgium, Italy, and France opposed this at the EU summit, citing legal risks and possible shocks to financial markets.
As a result, Ukraine will receive about 90 billion euros in aid from EU funds, and not from Russian assets. Deutsche Welle notes that this decision could have been more effective if it had been prepared in advance, and not after the failure of alternative scenarios.
Earlier, US President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff spoke about the progress of negotiations with delegations from Ukraine, Russia, and European countries on a peaceful settlement of the war. According to him, the parties discussed key documents and confirmed their readiness to continue working on a peace plan.
Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , Twitter , Telegram , and Instagram.