Merz and Macron insist against Trump on the “need” of a high fire as a requirement to negotiate peace in Ukraine | International

Faced with the repeated statements of the US President, Donald Trump, that a high fire is not an indispensable condition to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine – following Moscow’s argument -, European leaders have taken the opposite. Several heads of state or government who have accompanied President Ukraine on Monday, Volodimir Zelenski, to his new appointment at the White House have told the host of the meeting, firmly but firmly, that said truce would be not only desirable, but even “necessary”.

“I do not think that a fire is necessary, it could be good, but strategically I can understand why a country does not want it (…) I like the concept of a high fire (…) but we can work in an agreement while they are fighting,” Trump had reiterated during his face face to face with Zelenski, a meeting that has inaugurated the round of meetings in the White House.

Shortly after, upon receiving the seven leaders and high European representatives who have traveled to Washington to support the discussions – and make it clear that Europe wants to be present at the negotiating table – two of the leaders, the German Friedrich Merz and the French In the White House in this new meeting, after the debacle of his last appointment in Washington, in February.

After praising Trump’s task to “open the way” to the negotiations – “you opened it on Friday,” Merz congratulated the American – the German chancellor has insisted that what remains ahead are “complicated negotiations” that would require a truce. “To be honest, we would all like to see the fire,” added Merz, who has insisted on an argument visibly agreed with his European counterparts: “I cannot imagine that the next meeting can take place without a stop the fire. So we work on it and try to pressure Russia, because the credibility of these efforts that we are making today depends on at least a stop of the fire from the next meeting. Trilateral, ”he said.

Also the French president, who has also insisted that the next meeting is no longer only trilateral between Trump, Putin and Zelenski, but “four -opening”, referring to a European presence, he has described “need” the requirement of a high fire in the next stage.

In their joint round, the European representatives – in addition to Merz and Macron, have traveled to Washington the prime ministers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, and the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, as well as the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the secretary general of the NATO, Mark Rutte – Likewise, the importance of Ukraine obtaining security guarantees and that the United States is involved in them in one way or another.

To coordinate their meeting with Trump, the Europeans had held shortly before the appointment at the White House a “preparatory meeting” with Zelenski. A coordination that was also seen during the first public statements around the table in the east wing Once an agreement is negotiated.

“This is an important moment, while we continue working in favor of strong security guarantees for Ukraine and a lasting and sustainable peace,” said Von der Leyen in an X message in which he hung the family photo of the match in Washington.

The EU waits impatiently to know the details of Monday’s conversations in Washington, which they hope can produce a turn after more than three years of war at its doors. Ambassadors are expected to be informed of the details of the conversations well tonight or first hour on Tuesday. For this same Tuesday, the president of the European Council, António Costa, has called the 27 European leaders to a videoconference meeting to also analyze in detail the result of the appointment in the US capital, in the mouth of its protagonists.

“Together with the United States, the EU will continue working to achieve lasting peace that guarantees the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe,” said Costa by announcing the European virtual event.