30-day ceasefire will be test for Putin - Merz
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that a 30-day ceasefire will be a test for Russian dictator Putin's readiness to negotiate a lasting peace.
He said this at a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Censor.NET reports with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.
"This is another major initiative of the president (Trump - Ed.), who calls for a 30-day ceasefire that will begin today. This will be a test of how seriously Putin takes such agreements. Of course, not only today, which is celebrated in Moscow as Victory Day, but also in the future - we will see whether it is possible to turn a 30-day ceasefire into real peace talks," he said.
Merz emphasized that "the ball is completely in Moscow's court, nowhere else."
"We agree here in Europe to support Ukraine, the United States also supports Ukraine. Now the ball is in Moscow's court, and only there (in Russia - Ed.) they need to show that the Russian government is serious about peace in Ukraine," the chancellor added.
