Russia will only negotiate under pressure, says Merz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Monday that Russia would only engage in serious negotiations under pressure, following President Donald Trump's announcement of a temporary easing of US sanctions on Russian diesel. Merz reiterated that Germany and Europe had no intention to lift the sanctions, which remained in place. The US-Russian diesel deal was initially proposed by Trump, who spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, resulting in Russia releasing substantial amounts of diesel into global markets.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the move, leading Trump to call for a new Ukrainian leader on Saturday. Merz also expressed his skepticism about Russia's response to peace proposals, citing an energy ceasefire proposal made by Trump over the weekend. Russia responded to the proposal with severe attacks on Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure.

Merz, who recently visited Kyiv, assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Germany would support him in the ongoing situation. When asked if he now viewed Trump as siding with Russia instead of mediating the Ukraine war, Merz simply stated that the conflict had not ended as Trump had hoped within the first few days of his second term.