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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt attacks on Ukraine and return to the negotiating table to end the war.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Paris alongside leaders from France, Ukraine, and the UK, Merz said members of the "coalition of the willing" had agreed to maintain robust support for Kyiv while ratcheting up pressure on Moscow through new measures.
"We are doing this not to prolong the war, but to end it as quickly as possible," Merz said.
"Our message to Russia is: It is time to come to the negotiating table, it is time to agree on a ceasefire," he added. “It is time to put an end to the needless bloodshed in Ukraine.”
The German leader argued that the Russia-Ukraine war has entered a new phase, with Kyiv achieving “considerable military successes” in recent months with the help of Western military support.
“It is becoming increasingly clear, and more and more Russian citizens are realizing that Moscow will not prevail in this war. Russia will not achieve its war aims,” Merz said.
He told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Germany and its Western allies would continue providing strong economic and military support to Kyiv.
“We stand with you—not only because Ukraine’s freedom is at stake, but because our own freedom across all of Europe is also at stake in this terrible war of aggression,” Merz said.
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