Germany’s Merz warns Europe needs seat at the table as Trump renews Ukraine talks

BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that Europe must help shape any Ukraine peace agreement as U.S. President Donald Trump renews his push to negotiate a deal with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. “Europe must and wants to play a role in this process,” said Merz alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin Tuesday. “Key elements of a peaceful solution — whether regarding sanctions or the security architecture — can only be resolved with us Europeans. And everyone involved knows that very well.” Zelenskyy also suggested that no peace deal could be struck that would preclude his country from joining the EU and benefiting from what he called the bloc’s “security infrastructure.” “The U.S. and Russia — with all due respect to the U.S. — cannot decide whether Ukraine will become a member state of the European Union,” Zelenskyy said. “For that we need the support of other countries, and all of those countries are in Europe.” Merz’s meeting with Zelenskyy in Berlin comes as the Trump administration renews efforts to reach a negotiated end to the full-scale war in Ukraine and before U.S.-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia are set to resume in Abu Dhabi next week. The meeting in Berlin also comes a day before talks hosted by the European Commission with representatives from the U.S., Ukraine and key European allies on Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and economic future. Merz also sharply criticized the U.S. decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to December’s G20 summit in Miami, saying the move is shutting Ukraine out of talks about its own fate. “If President Trump were to decide to invite the Russian president, then Ukraine must be the first topic of discussion,” Merz said. “And if Ukraine is discussed, then the president of Ukraine must be seated at the table. In any case, from my perspective, it is completely unacceptable for third countries to discuss Ukraine’s fate without involving Ukraine itself.” European leaders, including Merz, have long feared the U.S. may pursue a Ukraine peace deal on terms that sideline Europe and disadvantage Ukraine. This is a developing story.