German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected “within the next two weeks,” crediting a phone call placed by U.S. President Donald Trump during a rare White House summit with European leaders. The venue is still under discussion, reports Reuters.
Trump separately pledged that the United States would help Europe underpin security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any peace deal, an offer Zelenskyy hailed as a “major step forward,” though details remain unsettled and Moscow has rejected the idea of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil.
A senior U.S. official said Hungary is a possible host for the leaders’ encounter, while the Kremlin publicly stopped short of confirming a firm agreement.
Ceasefire first—or negotiate while fighting continues?
European leaders at the White House urged a ceasefire as a prerequisite for direct talks. Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron argued that guns should fall silent before any political process moves ahead.
Trump, after meeting Putin in Alaska last week, signaled a shift—backing a comprehensive agreement first, with negotiations potentially proceeding even as hostilities continue. NATO’s secretary general Mark Rutte said membership for Ukraine is not on the table, but “Article-5-like” guarantees are under discussion.
The diplomatic choreography underscores a delicate balance. Kyiv says it is ready to meet but resists concessions that could lock in battlefield losses. At the same time, Russia continues missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, undercutting claims of de-escalation. European capitals remain wary of any arrangement that rewards aggression while seeking an enforceable end to the war that began with Russia’s 2022 invasion. (AP News)
Merz draws a red line on territorial concessions
The German chancellor cautioned against any settlement that would pressure Kyiv to surrender the free parts of Donbas—likening the proposal to asking the United States to cede Florida. His remark captured European unease over land-for-peace formulas and the risk of setting a precedent in Europe’s security order.
Who would police the peace?
Pressed by Deutsche Welle’s Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl on whether Berlin would contribute peacekeepers as part of guarantees, Merz said Europe “must be involved,” but the scope and composition would require consultations with partners. Any deployment of German troops would need Bundestag approval. Russia, for its part, has publicly rejected any NATO peacekeeping presence.
What comes next
If Putin and Zelenskyy do meet, Trump has proposed a subsequent trilateral session with himself, framing it as the next rung toward a comprehensive pact. Markets have already reacted to the possibility of progress; energy traders are gaming out how an eventual deal might affect sanctions and flows. But with front lines still active and the Kremlin’s messaging mixed, officials caution that a breakthrough is far from assured.
Context: The last serious round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine occurred in Turkey and faltered. Since then, the war has killed or wounded more than a million people on both sides, including thousands of civilians, and devastated swaths of Ukrainian infrastructure.
