German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday he was braced for the Ukraine war to last a long time given that wars usually end in military defeat or economic exhaustion, scenarios he does not see on the horizon for either Kyiv or Moscow.
Merz’s comments come a day before the expiry of a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for a meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine with a view to paving the way for peace talks. Trump has threatened “consequences” if the meeting does not take place.
“I am preparing myself inwardly for this war to last a long time,” Merz said in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF.
Efforts are being made through intensive diplomatic initiatives to end the war as quickly as possible, but this cannot be “at the price of Ukraine’s capitulation”, he said.
He refused to be drawn in the interview on the issue of a possible deployment of German troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees in the event of a peace deal.
The Kremlin said on Sunday that European powers were hindering Trump’s peace efforts, and that Russia would continue its operation in Ukraine until Moscow saw real signs that Kyiv was ready for peace.
