Merz promises to increase pressure on Moscow: the German Chancellor in Rome noted that the negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine "did not meet" expectations

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking in Rome together with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, also spoke in favor of Italy's more active participation in European efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

UNN reports with reference to Euronews and Spiegel.

Details

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned Russia for continuing attacks on Ukraine "with unabated brutality," adding that Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire talks have also "failed" to meet expectations. Speaking alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, Merz pledged to continue to increase pressure on Moscow.

Context

On Saturday, Meloni and Merz met at the Italian Prime Minister's official residence, Palazzo Chigi in Rome, for a discussion that lasted more than an hour. The German Chancellor is currently on inaugural visits to Europe. Merz announced that he would soon fly to Washington to meet with Trump. However, the exact date is not yet known.

Involving Italy in supporting Ukraine

Chancellor Merz also spoke in favor of more active involvement of Italy in European efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. After meeting with Giorgia Meloni, he said: "We agreed that Italy should play a certain role here." The Chancellor did not say exactly what this would mean during his first visit to Italy.

Reference

The German government recently issued an ultimatum to Moscow: if a ceasefire is not reached by Monday evening, sanctions will be "put into effect", said government representative Cornelius. The Kremlin reacted: "The language of ultimatums is unacceptable to Russia, it is inappropriate"

Recall

European countries are not planning to send peacekeepers to Ukraine, focusing on negotiations on a ceasefire with Russia. The format of peace talks and security guarantees for Ukraine are a priority. This was stated by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after a meeting of EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the summit in Albania.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome and confirmed Canada's support for Ukraine.