The head of the German government made this statement on Saturday, October 18, 2025, as reported by Bild."The visit was not what Zelenskyy had hoped for. I think I can say that here," Merz noted.Consequently, Ukraine will require even more European assistance, because the war with the Russian Federation can only be stopped if Ukraine is militarily strong. Therefore, as the Chancellor of Germany, he will work to support Ukraine "financially, politically, and, of course, militarily," the article states.At the same time, Ukraine's capitulation is not an option, Merz emphasized, as Russia would then attack the next European country. "Unfortunately, it's true: Russia has not come to terms with the fact that the world is as it is today," Merz said, referring to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to change this by force. "We will have to defend ourselves again," the German Federal Chancellor concluded.On October 16, Trump spoke with the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and invited him to a meeting in Budapest, to which he preliminarily agreed.On Friday, October 17, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with American leader Donald Trump at the White House. The leaders spoke for over two hours. Among the key topics were security guarantees, Tomahawks, and territories.