German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a strongly worded response to the US-backed Ukraine peace plan, has said that Kyiv’s sovereignty is non-negotiable. He said Europe is facing a security threat to its territorial architecture as talks continue in Geneva on Monday.
Merz added that Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty must not be sacrificed as part of any arrangement, which Washington wants done by Thursday.
On the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, Merz said he was aware of the 28-page draft and had spoken to Trump before arriving at the G20 summit.
"We have been aware of this 28-point plan since last Friday," Merz said. "I had a call with President Trump before I left the country. I informed Trump that some of the points in the draft are contentious and cannot be agreed upon by the EU states,” he added. There are serious negotiations going on in Geneva between the national security advisers from the US, Ukraine, and Europe.
“We can’t predict the outcome of these talks; however, delegates must remember that the sovereignty of Ukraine may not be questioned,” Merz said. Almost every EU backer of Ukraine has pushed back against the proposed peace plan, which involves territorial concessions to Russia, along with downsizing the size of its military.
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Merz said the “implications of this war are felt far beyond the Ukrainian borders, as it has destabilised the entire European continent over the past 4 years.” He also warned that Trump's Thursday deadline for agreement on all the details is unrealistic. "I don’t think achieving all 28 points mentioned in the draft is possible.”
Meanwhile, the talks to end the conflict in Ukraine are going on in the Swiss city for the second consecutive day.
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