Merz proposes to create European Contact Group to end war in Ukraine
German chancellor candidate from the conservative CDU/CSU bloc Friedrich Merz has proposed to create a Contact Group of four European countries to discuss options for ending Russia's war against Ukraine. This vision should be presented to the new US administration.
According to Censor.NET, he said this during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
According to him, with Donald Trump coming to power in the United States, "there may be a new situation" that Europe must be prepared for.
However, Merz emphasizes that Europe needs to develop a common European opinion, rather than offering individual peace initiatives from each country.
The German chancellor candidate is convinced that the allies must do everything to end the war as soon as possible.
Merz proposes to set up a contact group consisting of Germany, France, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
I have a proposal to create a contact group of Germany, France, Poland, and the United Kingdom-the four big countries of Europe and NATO-to exchange views and thus develop a common vision with the United States," he said.
He added that this contact group should work out Europe's position, first and foremost politically: to talk to the United States, since Trump will be president starting January 20.
Merz's visit to Ukraine
On December 9, 2024, Friedrich Merz, a candidate for chancellor from the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, arrived in Kyiv on an official visit.
Merz said that if elected, he would be ready to have a telephone conversation with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin about resolving the war in Ukraine under certain conditions.
