In a coordinated effort, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, along with leaders from Britain, France, and Poland, conferred with former U.S. President Donald Trump before his scheduled call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.The discussions aimed to address the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Pre-Call Coordination

Mr. Merz confirmed the pre-call coordination, stating:

I talked to Mark Rubi, among othre things, tomorrow’s call. We agreed to talk to the US President in the readiness for the interview (with Putin).
Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor

Mr. Merz, who was participating in a vatican event, also mentioned speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump’s Declaration and Kremlin Confirmation

Mr. Trump initially announced his planned conversation with Mr.Putin on his truth Social network, indicating his intention to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. He also mentioned plans to speak with Mr. Zelenskyy and representatives from NATO countries.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed preparations for the call between the two leaders, according to Russian press agencies.

Russia’s Stated Goals

Mr. Putin reiterated Moscow’s objectives, stating the goal is to:

eliminate the causes of war, create conditions for permanent peace and guarantee Russia’s security.
Vladimir Putin, Russian President

Divergent views on Conflict’s Origins

Moscow has consistently cited kyiv’s aspirations to join NATO and the 2014 pro-Western revolution as key factors driving the conflict.In february 2022, the Kremlin emphasized the need for “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine.

Kyiv and its allies view Russia’s actions as an imperialistic attempt to seize foreign territory.

European Coordination and disagreement with Russian Conditions

prior to Mr. Trump’s call, french President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy held a joint phone call. This occurred shortly after direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul, Turkey.

European leaders expressed their disapproval of Russia’s approach to the negotiations. Mr. Merz described the outcome of the Istanbul talks as:

disillusionment, according to him, Moscow is bearing Moscow.
Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor

Stalled Negotiations in Istanbul

The Istanbul talks marked the first direct contact between the warring parties in three years. However, the delegations failed to reach a ceasefire agreement, only agreeing to an exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war on each side.

A Ukrainian source indicated that Russia presented conditions deemed “unfeasible.”

Russian Demands for Ceasefire

Reports from Bloomberg and Reuters, citing sources, indicated that the Russian delegation stated a ceasefire would only be possible if Ukraine withdrew its forces from all regions claimed by Moscow. Additional proposals were presented that exceeded the terms of a peace agreement proposed by the U.S. last month after consultations with Moscow.