Germany's Merz asks Trump for 'no surprises' from Putin talks
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is pushing for EU leaders to commit to supporting Ukraine as part of negotiations on the bloc's long-term budget.
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
BERLIN: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday (Nov 13) urged US President Donald Trump not to spring any surprises during expected talks on Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China next week.
"Some here in Dublin fear this could turn into a 'second Anchorage moment'," said Merz, referring to the Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage, Alaska, that European leaders had viewed as a potentially pivotal moment in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
"I therefore want to state our message to the United States very clearly: please, no surprises. Continue to play as part of 'Team Europe' and 'Team Ukraine'."
Merz is pushing for EU leaders to commit to supporting Ukraine as part of negotiations on the bloc's long-term budget.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
He said the proposal had received broad backing, although an agreement remained a long way off.
Following meetings between US and Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi this week, substantive peace negotiations are expected to begin in the coming weeks, with European participation for the first time, said Merz.
He rejected Russia's calls to place Europe's security architecture at the centre of the talks, arguing that framework already existed in the form of NATO.
"The upcoming discussions must focus on one central question: within what framework can Ukraine's security be guaranteed once peace is achieved? First, however, we must actually reach that peace."
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app