Merkel Questions the Prospects of a Meeting Between Zelensky and Putin Amid Diplomatic Uncertainty
Against the backdrop of ongoing tensions and international efforts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed strong skepticism regarding the likelihood of a personal meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Prior to the meeting of the Franco-German ministerial council held at French President Emmanuel Macron’s residence in Breganson, Merz provided clear remarks, emphasizing that, in his view, such a meeting is highly unlikely or even impossible.
He reminded that, despite agreements between Presidents Trump and Putin, there has yet to be any indication of willingness on Russia’s part to engage in negotiations.
Meanwhile, U.S.
President Donald Trump pointed out that Putin’s hostility towards Zelensky hampers the process of reconciliation.
According to sources, Trump intends to leave the organization of a potential summit between Ukrainian and Russian leaders to their respective initiatives, with no official negotiations currently planned.
On August 22, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Vladimir Putin would meet with Zelensky only after the preparation of an appropriate summit plan, which currently remains uncertain.
This all underlines the complex diplomatic situation surrounding the possibility of dialogue and the ongoing uncertainty about future steps towards conflict resolution.