Merz urges freeze on Ukraine front line, pushes for peace talks

The time has come to begin negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated.

Speaking at the opening of a conference on Ukraine in Gdańsk, Merz said that following the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Évian, “a new sense of transatlantic unity” had emerged.

“Time has come to enter into negotiations to freeze the front line and to end the killing,” Merz said, adding that this message was being directed to Russia.

On June 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting with government officials that Moscow was ready for peace talks with Ukraine based on the agreements reached during negotiations in Istanbul.

Russia and Ukraine held talks in Istanbul in March 2022 as part of efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

By Jeyhun Aghazada