German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a sharp, uncompromising message on Monday: Ukraine will not be forced into a backroom peace deal, and Europe will not allow any agreement that bypasses Kyiv.
Standing beside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Berlin — just hours after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — Merz warned that Europe must remain united as diplomatic pressure intensifies ahead of Tuesday’s meeting between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
“No decisions about Ukraine without Ukrainians.”
Merz made Europe’s position unmistakably clear.
“We have a clear direction: No decision on Ukraine and Europe without Ukrainians and without Europeans,” he said.
With global powers maneuvering to influence emerging peace negotiations, Merz insisted that any attempt to impose a settlement over Kyiv’s head would be unacceptable.
He vowed that neither the EU nor NATO would be weakened or divided by outside pressure.
Europe Signals Firm Unity
The joint statement with Tusk underscores a renewed German-Polish front at a pivotal moment in the war. Both leaders stressed that Putin must not be allowed to dictate the terms of peace, and that Ukraine’s sovereignty remains non-negotiable.
As Washington sends envoys to Moscow and Kyiv, Europe is making sure its own message cuts through the noise:
No secret deals. No concessions behind closed doors. No dictated peace.