In brief
On 21 October Friedrich Merz said a surrender by Ukraine, and an unconditional one even more so, is out of the question because it would amount to a capitulation by all of Germany's partners.
In a Bloomberg interview dated 18 October, Volodymyr Zelensky said steps had been taken to persuade Ukraine to capitulate. Donald Trump then told him to hand the negotiations to someone else.
Merz called Russia's influence on German society his greatest concern and said sabotage and hybrid attacks on communication systems happen every day, a threat he considers underestimated.
Merz rejects a Ukrainian surrender
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday, 21 October, that a surrender by Ukraine is not an option. Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue forum, he was responding to growing US pressure on Kyiv. He said Germany and its European partners remain ready for talks at any time. Merz stressed that Berlin does not support Ukraine in order to prolong the war, and that its aid also serves its own interests. He ruled out a surrender of any kind, and an unconditional one even more so, because it would amount to a surrender by all of them.
“Because that would be a capitulation of all of us.”
Washington's pressure on Kyiv
The chancellor's remarks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Bloomberg in an interview dated 18 October that steps had been taken to persuade Ukraine to capitulate. Zelensky added that he did not believe this was the goal of Ukraine's partners, although that is how it looked to him. Donald Trump responded by accusing Zelensky of not wanting to end the war, and he advised Zelensky to hand the negotiations to someone else. Merz tied his position to Trump's recent overtures toward Russia. The remarks also followed reports of possible negotiations between the United States, Russia and China on Ukraine.
Hybrid threats from Russia
Merz named Russia as the greatest current danger to Germany. He said his biggest concern was neither the economy, the European Union, the United States nor China, but Russia's influence on German society. He described sabotage, hybrid attacks on communication systems and attempts to destabilise Germany, and said these attacks take place every day. Merz argued that the scale of this threat is still underestimated in Germany and that the country must become more resilient. He also accused Moscow of a fundamental attack on the political order that took shape after the Cold War.
“My greatest concern is the impact of Russia on our society.”
Trade with China
Merz also addressed EU trade with China. He said the bloc faces unfair practices that must be discussed, but he denied that this amounts to the start of a trade war. The goal, he said, is a "new balance" in trade, and China matters greatly to many companies in Germany. He cited overcapacity, high subsidies in the automotive sector and other areas, and an artificially undervalued currency. The EU does not necessarily want to use its full toolbox of trade measures, he added, but it is ready to defend itself against unfair practices.
What comes next
Merz said Germany and its partners would keep supporting Ukraine in their own interest and remain open to negotiations. A Der Tagesspiegel live blog carried the headline that Russia had declared itself ready to resume talks with Ukraine and the United States in November. Digi24 reported that the discussion concerned possible negotiations between the United States, Russia and China over Ukraine. Berlin's position is that any settlement cannot involve a Ukrainian capitulation.