'Russia will not win this war': German chancellor calls on Moscow to halt invasion and resume talks

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking at a Ukraine recovery conference in Gdansk, declared that Russia will not win this war and called on Moscow to halt its invasion and resume talks with Kyiv. Merz said Ukraine holds a position of strength on the battlefield and that European support for Kyiv is unwavering.

He stressed that unity on Ukraine between European countries and the United States has held since the G7 summit, and that Europe is sending a clear message to Russia: it is time to enter negotiations, freeze the front line, and stop the killing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said Russia is prepared to negotiate, but only on terms he has already set. Moscow demands that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the full administrative territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions—including areas not yet captured by Russian forces.

According to Ukrainian media sources citing officials, U.S. President Donald Trump supports the long-range strikes Ukraine has recently carried out behind Russian lines. Trump has reportedly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in private to act "more boldly" toward Moscow to push it back to the negotiating table.