
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that "it is clear that there will be no meeting" in the near future between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, contrary to what the US president, who had sought a diplomatic solution to end the war, had hoped.
"It is clear that such a meeting will not happen, unlike what was previously agreed between President Trump and President Putin," Merz said, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The two leaders met for a working dinner in Fort Bregançon, in the south of France, where they issued a joint statement to the media before starting official talks.
According to Mertz, the meeting's agenda included bilateral issues, such as economic cooperation between Germany and France, but also international topics, such as the situation in Ukraine and efforts to reduce bureaucracy in the European Union.