Germany's Merz says Putin, Zelenskiy to meet within next two weeks
'We don't know whether the Russian president will have the courage to attend such a summit. Therefore, persuasion is needed,' said Merz, who was part of a delegation of European leaders who travelled to Washington on Monday to lend support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During a break in the meeting, 'the American president spoke with the Russian president on the phone and agreed that there would be a meeting between the Russian president and the Ukrainian president within the next two weeks,' he told reporters.
Trump had agreed to extend another invitation to a three-way meeting afterward, so that negotiations could 'truly begin', added Merz.
The German chancellor said Trump was impressed that the Europeans had come with a unified front, and their discussions with the U.S. administration would now turn to details on security guarantees for Ukraine.
'It is absolutely clear that the whole of Europe should participate,' said Merz, praising Trump's announcement that the United States is also prepared to provide them.
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