Merz rejects Ukrainian territorial concessions
(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has firmly rejected the idea of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia as part of potential peace negotiations, stressing that such choices must be made solely by Kiev. Russia, however, continues to insist that any settlement must recognize the territorial changes that occurred during the conflict.
Merz’s remarks came after Monday’s White House meeting between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, and several European leaders, including Merz. The gathering followed Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska two days earlier.
Comparing Moscow’s demands to the US hypothetically surrendering Florida, Merz told reporters that “no territorial concessions should be made.” Still, he acknowledged that Ukraine itself must ultimately decide its course during talks, noting that “a sovereign state cannot just decide something like that so easily.”
Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out ceding land, pointing to Ukraine’s Constitution, which forbids giving up territory. However, he admitted that the topic of land swaps was raised during the White House discussions.
After the Anchorage summit, Putin reiterated that resolving the conflict depends on addressing its root causes. Moscow maintains that Ukraine must abandon NATO membership plans, demilitarize, and accept the status of Crimea, as well as Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye, which voted to join Russia in 2022.
Trump has also pressed Kiev to renounce its NATO ambitions and drop claims to Crimea, saying such concessions could lead to an almost immediate peace deal—positions that closely mirror Moscow’s demands.
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