Ukraine War: Merz and Macron in Kiev: Mission for a ceasefire

With a joint visit to Kiev, the heads of state and government of the four most important European allies in Ukraine are strong for a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine War, which is intended to open a chance for peace negotiations. The new Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) arrived in Kiev in the morning with the French President Emmanuel Macron and the British Prime Minister Keir Strander.

There, the three met with the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj, on the central independence place Maidan they thought of the dead of the Russian war of aggression. It is the first joint journey of the heads of state and government of the four major European allies in Ukraine to the war zone. Merz has only been in office since Tuesday. He had prepared the visit with a phone call to US President Donald Trump.

The Europeans are now supporting its demand for a ceasefire of 30 days. “We confirm our support for President Trump’s demand for a peace agreement. Russia is asked to no longer hinder the efforts to make permanent peace,” it said in a joint explanation that they published on their way to Kiev.

Russia, however, provides conditions for such an ceasefire: As a prerequisite, Moscow from the United States and the EU called for an end to the arms deliveries to Kiev. “Otherwise there will be an advantage for Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow told the US broadcaster ABC. Ukraine would use a ceasefire to continue its “total mobilization”, he added. Peskow expressed hope that Trump will continue to use his influence on Ukraine and help to urge Kiev for negotiations.

Europe and the USA are pulling together again for the first time

The United States and Europe now seem to be pulling together for the first time since Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine – at least in this one point. In the past few months, Trump had tried to end the war. So far he has been unsuccessful. Trump had massively put Selenskyj under pressure to make concessions to Putin. The Europeans, on the other hand, warned of a dictation peace.

In the declaration, the Europeans now make it clear that a regional ability from Ukraine to Russia are out of the question for them. “Russia has to end its illegal war of aggression and Ukraine must be able to develop as a sovereign nation in its internationally recognized borders, even for future generations.”

They also ensure further military help to Ukraine to withstand the “ongoing barbaric and violent invasion of” Russia. “We will further expand our support for Ukraine. As long as Russia does not agree to a permanent ceasefire, we will further increase the pressure on Russia’s war machine.”

Merz prepared for a visit to Trump on a phone call

Merz had made his first phone call to US President Trump on Thursday. The Chancellor informed the American President about the joint explanation, and he was benevolent, it was then said from Merz ‘environment. Trump then tightened the tone towards the Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Truth portal and threatened to sanctions if Russia refused to rest.

Merz joined the threat of sanctions during his visit to Brussels on Friday. “The ball is now in Moscow, nowhere else,” he said. He added to the schedule for a ceasefire: “I have the great hope that there will be an appointment over this weekend for an armistice in Ukraine.”

Ukraine expects German promise for new arms deliveries

The Ukrainian ambassador in Germany, Oleksii Makeieev, expects Merz to promise new arms of Ukraine when visiting. “I’m sure,” said the ambassador to a question in Kiev. He didn’t want to give details. The new federal government wants to keep German arms deliveries to Ukraine largely secret, as said on Friday evening from government circles.

The Ukraine visit by Merz, Macron, Strander and Tusk is the first in this formation. He commemorates a similar journey by Merz ‘predecessor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in June 2022. Scholz drove to Kiev with Macron and the then Italian Prime Minister Draghi. For the first time, the three stood together behind the EU accession candidate of Ukraine and thus cleared the way for it. The pictures of the three from a meeting room in the special train have their permanent place in the history of the Ukraine war.