German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Kyiv for the first time today. He emphasized that the West, including the U.S., is prepared to respond strongly to any anti-peace decisions by the Kremlin, stating, "The ball is now in the court of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin."

Merz elaborated, "Should there be a refusal, significant strengthening of sanctions and extensive support for Ukraine — political, financial, and military — will follow."

This stance is reportedly supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is believed to have lost patience with the Russian leader, Merz noted. As a result, there is an "astonishingly high level of agreement" between Europe and the United States today.

However, the German Chancellor remained non-committal about potential negotiations with the Russian president, stating, "If the need arises, if it would help to end the war, I am ready to do much. But first, we must see if we can achieve a ceasefire after this weekend."

Earlier, Chancellor Merz indicated a strong likelihood of a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine by this weekend. Today, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, he arrived in Kyiv to discuss a coalition of the willing, which could potentially undertake a peacekeeping mission in the event of a truce between Kyiv and Moscow.

  War in Ukraine, Germany, Merz

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