‘Ukraine’s Capitulation Not an Option’ – Merz Backs Kyiv in Peace Talks

With the White House representative visiting Russia to discuss options for peace in the Russo-Ukrainian War, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz backed Ukraine on Wednesday, likening Kyiv’s surrender to that of all of Europe and calling it “not an option.”

The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff visited St. Petersburg on Wednesday, a day after meeting Ukrainian, Norwegian and Finnish leaders in Oslo. Witkoff is set to deliver the US and European positions to the Kremlin.

Speaking at a discussion at the Berlin Global Dialogue conference, Merz said Europe is supporting Ukraine to end the war, not prolong it.

“We are not supporting Ukraine in order to continue this war. We are doing this to end it as soon as possible,” he said, adding that there has been “some progress” in the Oslo talks without elaboration, as reported by Ukrainian state media Ukrinform.

The Kremlin has long accused Kyiv’s allies of prolonging the war by supporting Ukraine, while they argue they are supporting Kyiv’s right to defend itself from Moscow’s invasion.

Merz added that Ukraine’s surrender would mean “the capitulation of all of us,” adding that supporting Ukraine is “entirely in our own interests.”

“But capitulation, or even unconditional capitulation of Ukraine, is not an option, because that would mean the capitulation of all of us,” he said.

Other Topics of Interest

Air Raid Alerts Stall Ukraine-Poland Border Crossings

Border checks paused 61 times in Volyn over 10 days. Morning queues at Krakivets and Shehyni eased from the previous evening.

Merz said Russia’s invasion represents an attack on “the entire political order that we have achieved since 1990.”

“This is not just a war in Ukraine,” he said, echoing European intelligence reports that Russia has stepped up hybrid attacks on Europe, with tactics ranging from drone incidents to assassinations against arms executives.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow’s rejection of Europe’s stance on Wednesday, arguing that, from Moscow’s perspective, the new proposals are “unlikely to be a constructive contribution to a settlement.”

The developments came as the US stepped up pressure on Kyiv toward a peace settlement after pursuing a diesel deal with Moscow, with Europe pushing back against the deal and Washington’s subsequent pressure on Kyiv.

Peace on whose terms?

While all parties – including the US and Europe – have called for peace in Ukraine, the terms have been polarizing.

Europe has sided with Kyiv, arguing that Russia is responsible for the invasion and that any peace should be just and lasting, rather than a temporary ceasefire.

Russia has long cast its own Ukraine invasion as a war against NATO, initially demanding that Ukraine be demilitarized and barred from joining the alliance, and recently reiterated demands for Kyiv to voluntarily withdraw from eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, to which Moscow has laid claims via unrecognized referendums.

Kyiv, meanwhile, called for a freeze along the contact lines, arguing that ceding the Donbas region could weaken its own security and allow Russia to recuperate for another invasion against the rest of Ukraine; Ukraine’s recent Operation Vivaldi also reversed much of Russia’s gains in the region throughout 2026.

While the previous US administration backed Ukraine’s sovereignty, the current administration has pursued economic incentives to bring Moscow to the negotiating table, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying in March that Washington had pressured Kyiv to give up the Donbas in exchange for security guarantees.