German Chancellor Pushes Ukraine-Russia Armistice To Be Prioritized

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy / PHOTO via Instagram @bundeskanzler

JAKARTA - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated his call for Ukraine to be present at the negotiating table. Merz said the ceasefire should be prioritized in every deal.

We have confirmed that Ukraine must be present at the negotiating table at the next meeting. We want everything to go in the right order. We want a ceasefire from the start and then a framework agreement must be drawn up. If Ukraine is ready to discuss territorial negotiations, then we need to make sure there are no violent changes at the border," Merz said as quoted by CNN, Wednesday, August 13.

"We need strong security guarantees for Kyiv and there needs to be Ukrainian troops there to defend the country's sovereignty, and they also need to be able to rely on Western aid for that," the German Chancellor continued.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously warned of the need for pressure on Russia for a just peace.

This statement was made by the President of Ukraine hours before the virtual meeting of US President Donald Trump with European leaders with Zelenskyy.

"This war must end," Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

"We must learn from the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception from the Russian side," he continued.

According to him, there is no sign that Russia will end the war. It is necessary to take joint steps between Ukraine, Europe, including the United States.