German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a Franco-German cabinet meeting and a meeting of the Franco-German Defense and Security Council (CFADS) in Toulon, southern France, Friday Aug. 29, 2025. (Manon Cruz/Pool via AP)
German leader says peace cannot come at Ukraine’s expense
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday that the war in Ukraine could still last for a long time and ending it quickly at the country’s expense was not an option.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a Franco-German cabinet meeting and a meeting of the Franco-German Defense and Security Council (CFADS) in Toulon, southern France, Friday Aug. 29, 2025. (Manon Cruz/Pool via AP)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday that the war in Ukraine could still last for a long time and ending it quickly at the country’s expense was not an option.
In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF, Merz, when asked whether a , said he hasn’t lost hope but “harbors no illusions,” and emphasized that supporting the country to was an “absolute priority.”
“We are trying to end it as quickly as possible. But certainly not at the price of Ukraine’s capitulation. You could end the war tomorrow if Ukraine surrendered and lost its independence,” Merz said.
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“Then the next country would be at risk the day after tomorrow. And the day after that, it would be us. That is not an option,” the chancellor said.
Germany is a key backer of Ukraine and has delivered or pledged military support worth around 40 billion euros ($47 billion) since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
