German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has confirmed that European leaders have submitted a comprehensive peace plan for Ukraine to U.S. President Donald Trump, containing potential territorial concessions that Kyiv might consider. Merz emphasized that ultimate decisions regarding territory “must be answered primarily by the Ukrainian president, and the Ukrainian people,” a position explicitly communicated to the American administration.
The diplomatic initiative comes after weeks of intensive coordination between European capitals and Kyiv to develop a negotiated framework addressing Ukraine’s security interests. Concerns persist among European allies regarding Trump’s potential alignment with Russian objectives, given his administration’s previous engagement with Moscow. Chancellor Merz cautioned against imposing an unsustainable peace, stating it “would be a mistake to force the Ukrainian president into a peace that his people will not accept after four years of suffering and death.”
During a Wednesday phone conversation described as constructive, Merz, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, asserted that European interests must be integral to any settlement. President Trump acknowledged discussing Ukraine “in pretty strong words” but remained noncommittal about attending proposed European negotiations, noting “we don’t want to be wasting time.”
The territorial status of occupied eastern regions represents a critical obstacle. Russia demands complete Ukrainian withdrawal from contested areas in Luhansk and Donetsk—a condition Kyiv rejects both constitutionally and morally. President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently stated Ukraine lacks “legal right or moral right” to cede territory under national and international law.
As Zelensky convenes further talks with the coalition of allied leaders, Moscow maintains strategic silence while promoting narratives of Russo-American alignment. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump’s diplomatic efforts, claiming recent Kremlin meetings with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff resolved misunderstandings stemming from last summer’s Alaska summit. Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s opposition to international security guarantees for Ukraine, instead proposing Russian legal assurances against attacking NATO or EU nations—offers met with skepticism given historical violations of previous agreements.
With Ukraine’s electoral status suspended under martial law, Zelensky has conditioned elections on security guarantees from Western partners. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte concurrently warned of insufficient alliance preparedness, emphasizing that “Russia’s next target” requires urgent preventive measures to avoid continental conflict on a historical scale.