Russia will only negotiate under pressure, says Merz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz asserted on Monday that Russia would only negotiate seriously under duress, following President Donald Trump's recent announcement of a temporary reduction in US sanctions on Russian diesel. For both Germany and Europe, such a US-Russia diesel deal is deemed unacceptable, according to Merz. The chancellor maintained that Russia would only negotiate under pressure, explaining that Germany intends to keep its sanctions against Russia.

Trump had reportedly spoken with President Vladimir Putin on Friday, resulting in an agreement for Russia to release significant quantities of diesel into global markets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the move, leading Trump to call for a change in Ukraine's leadership. Merz also expressed skepticism about Russia's response to peace proposals, citing Russia's recent aggressive actions against Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure in reaction to Trump's energy ceasefire proposal.

Merz, who had visited Kyiv earlier in the week, assured Ukrainian President Zelensky of Germany's support. When asked if he now viewed Trump as favoring Russia over being a mediator in the Ukraine war, Merz reiterated that the conflict had not yet concluded as Trump had anticipated at the beginning of his second term.