Press conference by Chancellor Merz with President Zelensky
Chancellor Merz has consulted with Ukrainian President Zelensky and representatives from Europe and the USA regarding Ukraine. The aim was to lay the groundwork for potential peace negotiations and the security of Europe.
- Transcript of press conference
- Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Federal Chancellor Merz welcomed Ukrainian President Zelensky to the Federal Chancellery ahead of the meeting between US President Trump and Russia’s President in Alaska.
Photo: Federal Government/Guido Bergmann
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Berlin to discuss Ukraine at a virtual meeting with Europeans and representatives of the United States. The discussions took place in the run-up to a planned meeting between US President Trump and Russian President Putin in Alaska in mid-August.
“Important decisions can be made there”, emphasised the Chancellor at the subsequent press conference. He went on to say that that was why Europe was doing everything it could to set the course in the right direction. “We want President Trump to succeed on Friday”, said the Chancellor, warning at the same time that the United States and Europeans would have to increase the pressure if there was no movement on the Russian side in Alaska.
The most important points in brief:
- Common security interests: “Fundamental European and Ukrainian security interests must be safeguarded in Alaska.” According to the Chancellor, this was the message given to the President of the United States. He said there was agreement on both the assessment of the initial situation and the achievable goal for the meeting.
- Europe’s strong commitment: The Chancellor said that it had been made clear to US President Trump that Germany alone had mobilised around 40 billion euros in military aid since 2022 and that the European Union had put together 18 sanctions packages – and was extremely active in crisis diplomacy. Everything will be done to bring about an end to this terrible war, including by diplomatic means, said Merz.
- Possible negotiations: The Ukrainians must have a seat at the table at a follow-up meeting, the Chancellor demanded. He said that a ceasefire had to be the first step and that Ukraine was prepared to negotiate on territorial issues. However, he continued, the so-called contact line needed to be the starting point, and the legal recognition of Russian occupation was not up for debate. Negotiations must include robust security guarantees for Kyiv and be part of a joint transatlantic strategy, said Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.