Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul on Friday as a “positive signal” and called for more diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Speaking at the European Political Community summit in Albania, Merz said European allies will continue providing strong support to Ukraine while pursuing diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire.
“The fact that they are meeting today, the first time in three and a half years, is a very small but first positive signal. We have to do more on that, on diplomatic efforts,” Merz said, referring to the Istanbul meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations.
He also underlined that Ukraine needs to maintain a strong military position to succeed at the negotiating table. “We have to be very clear on our military support for this country as well. There should be no doubt that we are willing to continue to give our support,” he stressed.
The European Political Community summit brought together leaders from more than 40 European countries and EU institutions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were among the leaders who attended the summit in Tirana, hosted by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
As diplomacy falters elsewhere, Türkiye steps in—hosting this week’s key talks on Ukraine, NATO, and Iran, and emerging as a bridge in a divided world.
Phone call with Trump
At a press conference after the summit, Merz told reporters that a group of European leaders, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, held a phone call with US President Donald Trump to discuss the latest developments on Russia-Ukraine war.
“The Russian side would have had a good opportunity to hold initial talks this week on a peace preceded by a ceasefire agreement. We are very disappointed that this did not take place,” Merz told reporters, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's absence from the Istanbul negotiations.
He underlined that European leaders agree with Zelenskyy to continue making offers for talks in the coming days and weeks.
“The diplomatic efforts we have made so far have unfortunately failed due to Russia's unwillingness to take the first steps in the right direction. However, we will not give up. We will continue our efforts, and we will coordinate and maintain strong coordination between Europe and the Americans,” he said.
Austria hails Türkiye
Austria on Friday praised Türkiye for hosting Istanbul peace talks and its efforts to put an end to the war in Ukraine.
Chancellor Christian Stocker posted on X a photo of himself shaking hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a European Political Community summit in the Albanian capital of Tirana.
"Türkiye is a crucial partner for the European Union, and I very much commend Türkiye's role in trying to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
"I look forward to working together to further deepen the bilateral ties between Austria & Türkiye," he stated.
