Little progress made so far on Ukraine peace deal, German Chancellor says
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Aug. 23 described renewed efforts to reach a peace deal in Ukraine as "the first 200 meters" of 10 kilometers.
"Yes, we have taken the first steps. But I will say it figuratively, we are at a distance of 10 kilometers and have passed, maybe, the first 200 meters, no more. But in any case, we are moving in the right direction," Merz said at a congress of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.
U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified efforts to broker a peace deal to end Russia's war against Ukraine following failed attempts months earlier.
The U.S. leader met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15 and then met President Volodymyr Zelensky alongside European leaders in the White House days later.
Merz noted that Russia's position continues to make reaching a peace deal difficult, describing the process as a "difficult" task.
"(T)he leadership of Germany and the European Union has not yet made more diplomatic efforts than in the last three weeks," Merz said, emphasizing progress has been made before.
"Let no one say today that we are only discussing arms supplies," he added as Ukraine and its allies work on security guarantees.
On Aug. 19, Merz said that Zelensky and Putin could meet within the next two weeks.
"The American president spoke with the Russian president and agreed that there would be a meeting between the Russian president and the Ukrainian president within the next two weeks," Merz said.
Trump has said he plans to host a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin, followed by a trilateral meeting consisting of the three leaders if talks go well.
Zelensky said on Aug. 18 that he will directly discuss territory with Putin in potential peace talks, as Ukraine calls for unconditional negotiations.
