German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should be involved in the 15 August meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Source: Merz on TV channel ARD, as reported by European Pravda, citing German TV news service Tagesschau

Details: Merz announced that he will speak by phone with Trump on Sunday 10 August regarding his planned meeting with Putin in Alaska.

Quote: "We are intensively preparing for this meeting at the European level together with the US government. And we hope and expect that the Ukrainian government, President Zelenskyy, will be involved in this meeting… 

In any case, we cannot agree that territorial issues between Russia and America are discussed or even decided over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians."

Details: Merz added, "I assume that the US government sees it the same way, which is why there is such close coordination".

He said that what happens in Alaska on Friday should have consequences: "Either in the direction of increasing pressure on Russia, or in Russia’s own recognition that this war cannot be continued."

The chancellor said he hopes that the high-level meeting would also lead to a decision on a ceasefire in Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine.

Background: 

• The Trump-Putin meeting is scheduled to take place in Alaska on 15 August, amid media reports that Washington and Moscow are supposedly seeking an agreement to halt the war in Ukraine that could cement Russia’s occupation of part of its territory.
• In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that "the answer to the Ukrainian territorial question is already in the Constitution of Ukraine".
• On the night of 9-10 August, a joint statement addressed to Trump and Putin was released by the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the UK, the president of the European Commission, and the president of Finland.

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