German Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not expect Russia’s war against Ukraine to end anytime soon.
“Usually, wars end due to economic or military exhaustion of one or both sides, but in this war we are obviously still far from such a situation,” Merz said.
He believes that Europeans must be prepared for a protracted conflict, which necessitates even more active support for Ukraine to ensure its ability to defend itself.
“Russia miscalculated,” he stated, emphasizing that European unity has strengthened in recent years, and NATO is even more robust following Sweden and Finland’s accession.
The German chancellor also commented on Moscow’s refusal to hold talks with Ukraine in the Vatican. In his view, this shows that Russia is not interested in a ceasefire agreement or even a peace treaty with Kyiv.
In contrast, Ukraine, as Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha emphasized, is fully prepared for a truce and ceasefire, but Russia responds to this with missile attacks.