According to Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), Germany is “set” as a participant in future talks about an end to the war in Ukraine. “There should be concrete peace talks in which Europe is represented for the first time in the next few weeks,” said Merz on Friday in Dublin at a meeting of EU heads of state and government.
This will “probably be among the Europeans” who were present at the talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday: “Germany is involved, that is completely clear.”
There will be no negotiations without Ukraine or without Europe; we agree on this with the USA, said the CDU leader. With a view to a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and China's head of state Xi Jinping, there are fears among European politicians that there could be a “second Anchorage moment”. Last year, Trump spoke directly with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska.
The message to Americans is clear: “Please no surprises.” The USA would have to play as a team with Europe.
Merz left the question of who should specifically negotiate for Europe open. But he indicated that it would be similar to the Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi this week. At the talks between Ukraine, Russia and the USA, security advisors from the E3 states Germany, France and Great Britain as well as representatives of the EU Commission and NATO were on site, but not at the negotiating table. A comprehensive prisoner exchange was agreed in the capital of the United Arab Emirates and there are also to be further meetings. Merz said they were in close contact with the US and also with US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who were currently in Moscow.
There should be concrete peace negotiations in the next few weeks. Merz has also invited the so-called Coalition of the Willing with Ukraine supporters to Berlin next week. He is expecting over 20 heads of state and government. This will involve financing Ukraine next year and also the peace talks.
Merz also received support for his push to link the financing of new, necessary aid to Ukraine with the EU budget negotiations. At an EU summit, several heads of state and government supported the Chancellor's plan, for which he had previously faced headwinds. With the project, Merz wants to ensure greater participation of all EU countries in new aid to Ukraine.
On the sidelines of the meeting in Dublin, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said he liked the German Chancellor's message "that supporting Ukraine is also part of our central security and our central financing." So anyone who wants a new budget should take part in it, he continued. His Latvian counterpart Andris Kulbergs said he “completely” agreed with Chancellor Merz. "We all have to pull together. The whole of Europe has to get involved."
Luxembourg's head of government Luc Frieden said he completely agreed with Chancellor Merz. “We have to stand with Ukraine,” he said – and that includes shared financial commitments.
According to current estimates, Ukraine will be short of 70 billion euros for the coming year - around 45 billion of which should come from the EU according to a proposal from the European Commission. Merz is campaigning for further payments to the country attacked by Russia.
At the same time, Germany also pays by far the largest contribution to the common EU budget, which is currently being fought over between the states. While Merz insists on a smaller budget for the years 2028 to 2034 than currently proposed and points to empty national coffers, countries that benefit more from payments from the pot in particular do not want any cuts.
Before the summit, Merz emphasized that the question of how the Europeans would finance Ukraine in the next few years, if necessary, belonged in the context of the budget negotiations. Opposition came from countries such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The EU budget should not depend on aid to Ukraine. The Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico even spoke of blackmail by the Chancellor.
Last year, the EU approved Ukraine 90 billion euros for the years 2026 and 2027. The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary had ensured that they did not have to participate in the loan. Bulgaria also does not want to participate in new loans.
