Germany’s Merz: Ukraine war could last for a long time

Speaking to public broadcaster ZDF, Merz noted that despite efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to bring an end to the conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no interest in negotiations.

"I'm not giving up hope that we can achieve this. But I'm also under no illusions," Merz said, adding that wars usually end either through military defeat or through exhaustion, which he said is not visible on either side at present.

The chancellor emphasized that Germany seeks to end the war quickly but not at the cost of Ukraine’s surrender.

Merz said Western allies are working on formulating security guarantees for Ukraine in case of a ceasefire. He underlined that supporting the Ukrainian army to defend its territory remains the top priority.

On the possibility of German troop deployment, Merz stated that this is not a subject of current negotiations. He explained that any role in security guarantees — such as peacekeeping forces or air defense support — would require approval from the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament.

“Nobody is talking about ground troops in Ukraine at this point,” he said.

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