War in Ukraine will end only if Russia is economically and militarily exhausted – Merz
Russia’s war against Ukraine will end only when Russia is economically and militarily exhausted, and Moscow is not yet ready for serious negotiations, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said.
"My personal assumption is that this war will end only when Russia is at least economically, and possibly also militarily, exhausted. We are approaching that moment, but we are still approaching it," he said at the opening of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
"Russia is not yet ready for serious negotiations," Merz said.
"Russia must abandon this terrible war against Ukraine. And we must do everything necessary to bring them to the point where they no longer see an advantage in continuing this terrible war," he said.
The German chancellor added that this point had not yet been reached. He described it as "terrible" that Russia’s war against Ukraine has already lasted longer than the Second World War, and said the United States, Europe, and Ukraine must do everything possible to stop Russia through military, economic, political, and diplomatic means.
"And if there is a point in talking, we are ready to talk — but they must acknowledge that they are genuinely ready to talk about a ceasefire, and then about a peace plan," Merz said.
