Mertz: The war will end quickly if Kyiv surrenders

German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz expressed the opinion that the war in Ukraine could take a huge time, but emphasized the inability of the country’s surrender. He said this in an interview with the ZDF.

The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany noted that he had no illusions in the relatively quick completion of the conflict, though he expressed hope of achieving a stop next year. Mertz emphasized that the end of the war should not be the result of Ukraine’s denial of its independence.

According to him, even if the war could end very quickly due to Ukraine’s surrender, such a scenario was unacceptable. He warned that in the event of concessions in Ukraine, the loss of freedom could threaten, and other European countries, in particular Germany, could be the next victims of aggression.

“Just then, the day of the next country will come the day after tomorrow. And one day after that, our turn will come. This is not an option,” Merts said.

Friedrich Mertz also called two possible situations for the end of the war. The first was a military defeat by one of the parties, though in the current situation he did not see such an opportunity for Russia or Ukraine. The second is the economic or military fatigue of the parties involved, which is also unlikely.

Discussing the participation of western forces after the ceasefire, the Chancellor noted that this issue is not a priority for allies at this stage. The main task today is to support Ukrainian armed forces so they can effectively protect their state.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron arranged a meeting of European leaders in Paris to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

Remember that Germany has temporarily suspended a discussion about the possible direction of its troops in Ukraine after the end of the war in Russia. The situation will only change “if Trump has taken some steps” or “Putin restrained his aggressive war.”