Berlin, Aug 17: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington on Monday to join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, the German government announced.
The visit comes two days after Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where both leaders claimed “progress” toward ending the Ukraine war but stopped short of declaring a ceasefire. According to the German government, Merz’s discussions in Washington will focus on security guarantees, territorial issues, and continued support for Ukraine.
On Saturday, Trump briefed European leaders and Zelensky via phone about his Alaska talks with Putin. In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the meeting as “a great and very successful day,” adding that all parties agreed the best path forward was a comprehensive peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire, which “often times do not hold up.”
Trump confirmed that Zelensky will meet him at the White House on Monday afternoon, noting that a follow-up meeting with Putin could be scheduled depending on progress. “Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved,” he wrote.
European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Portuguese President Antonio Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a joint statement welcoming Trump’s initiative. They emphasized the goal of achieving “just and lasting peace” and expressed readiness to support a possible trilateral summit involving Trump, Zelensky, and Putin.
The statement echoed Trump’s own words: “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” underlining that further negotiations are crucial before any breakthrough can be achieved.
