Merz talked to Trump. In the background "the great great agreement"

As he emphasized, the conversation took place "in the context of long-standing preparations regarding the format of negotiations in Abu Dhabi or - at a later date - in other places."

The Chancellor is involved in the US president's consultations, the spokesman said.

Previously, Donald Trump's son-in-law and his special envoy wrote about consultations with European partners before the negotiations in Abu Dhabi.

"All parties continue to prepare intensively for substantive and fruitful negotiations. We will consult closely with our European partners during these negotiations, and if we make progress, we will strive to move to a broader, multilateral format with their direct participation," wrote Jared Kushner in an extensive post on X.

The negotiator emphasized that "ideas are still evolving" and the US side "welcomes thoughtful comments." He also added that "this is a difficult task that requires detailed work."

"There are no easy solutions, but the opportunity to help end this devastating war and build the foundations for a more peaceful, secure and prosperous Europe for future generations makes this a challenge worth taking on," Kushner wrote.

The US president's envoy also assured that the US delegation will "watch the development of the negotiations and continue to work intensively with all parties to realize President Trump's goal of achieving comprehensive and lasting peace."

"Any arrangement must fully respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and decision-making independence of each country. Each country will retain authority over its own security and alliances, and no other country will have veto power over a country's sovereign decisions. NATO will remain a central element of European collective defense, and this initiative will build on existing institutions and commitments," Kushner wrote.

Trump promises a 'big, great deal'

The American president announced on Thursday that he met with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Trump did not reveal what their conversation was about, but assured that an agreement to end the war was close.

And it will concern more than just Ukraine. This will be something very big. It will cover not only Ukraine, and I could even say that it may cover the whole of Europe. This will be a great great agreement and everyone will be delighted with it, Trump argued.

On November 10-11, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on ending Russian aggression will be held in Abu Dhabi; the US will mediate in the talks. The previous trilateral meeting took place in February, a few weeks before the start of the US-Israel war with Iran.