Merz’s reasoning: avoid long-term contacts with Putin due to their unfavorable history
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has openly stated that he does not intend to call Russian President Vladimir Putin, as previous experience of such contacts indicates their ineffectiveness and even negative impact. According to him, history shows that any attempts to establish a dialogue with the Russian leader have ended in increased violence and escalation of the conflict. Merz emphasized that a prerequisite for such appeals should be effectiveness and the ability to contribute to de-escalation of tensions, which has not been observed so far. He cites as a specific example the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to Moscow, which led to another bombing of a hospital in Kyiv. He also mentioned the phone call between former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Vladimir Putin, after which Russia attacked a children's hospital, which was yet another confirmation of the futility of such contacts. Merz emphasizes: "If these calls lead to such consequences, I would advise you to refrain from them for a long time," he is quoted by the German DW. Regarding the attitude of American leader Donald Trump, Merz noted that his position towards Putin is becoming increasingly critical. "In general, a broad consensus has already formed in Europe regarding the assessment of this war. I believe that Donald Trump, who previously addressed Putin rather condescendingly, is now increasingly approaching a common European position," Merz's statement says. He has previously stated that Vladimir Putin does not show a genuine interest in finding peace and a quick end to the conflict. In his opinion, this is why it is necessary to increase sanctions pressure on the aggressor country and isolate it internationally as much as possible. Merz is confident that under such circumstances, negotiations with Putin will not bring positive results and can only deepen the crisis. Therefore, he calls for joint efforts to maintain sanctions and strengthen the international isolation of Russia as necessary steps to stop the bloodshed and ensure peace in Ukraine.