Putin, Zelenskyy to meet within two weeks — Germany's Merz – DW – 08/19/2025
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to take place within the next two weeks.
Merz made the comments after he, along with other European leaders, met with US President Donald Trump at the White House for talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
The German leader was enthused following the meeting with Trump and Zelenskyy.
"My expectations have not only been met, but exceeded," Merz said once the talks had wrapped up.
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"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," Merz told reporters.
The German chancellor said the location was yet to be determined.
The comments come after President Donald Trump said arrangements were being made for face-to-face talks between Putin and Zelenskyy to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
Merz did, however, caution that Ukraine should not be forced to surrender the Donbas region to Russia and likened it to the United States ceding Florida.
"The Russian demand that Kyiv give up the free parts of Donbas corresponds, to put it bluntly, to a proposal for the United States to have to give up Florida," Merz told reporters following the White House talks.
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Meanwhile, DW's Washington bureau chief, Ines Pohl, asked Merz whether he would be willing to send German peacekeeping troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees.
"The question of who should be involved in the security guarantees and to what extent will have to be discussed with our European partners and the US government," said Merz.
"What is totally clear is that all of Europe should be involved. This isn't just about Ukraine's territory, it's about the political order of Europe and there, Germany has a major interest and a major responsibility," the German chancellor stressed.
"So being involved for me is clear, to what extent, we have to discuss that in Europe," Merz added.
Should a mandate be required, Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, would have to approve any deployment of Bundeswehr soldiers to Ukraine.
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