Ukraine`s capitulation would amount to the capitulation of us all, Merz says

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made the remarks during a discussion at the Berlin Global Dialogue conference in Berlin on Wednesday, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

“We support Ukraine not to prolong this war. We do so to end it as soon as possible. But Ukraine’s capitulation, or even unconditional capitulation, is not an option, because that would mean the capitulation of us all,” Merz stressed.

He said this was precisely why Germany continued to provide substantial assistance to Ukraine, viewing it as a matter of its own security.

“That is precisely why I support Ukraine so resolutely. It is in our own interests. It is entirely in our own interests,” Merz said.

The chancellor also commented on diplomatic efforts to end the war, including the talks held in Oslo the previous day involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. representatives, and European leaders.

“Yesterday evening in Oslo, a meeting took place with Zelensky and our representatives from Europe, and we made some progress in this discussion. We are always ready for negotiations,” he said.

Merz stressed that Russian aggression extended far beyond the war against Ukraine and targeted the political order established in Europe after 1990.

“This is not just a war in Ukraine. It is a fundamental attack on the entire political order we established after 1990,” the German chancellor said.

Merz also warned that Russia threatened the freedom and security of the entire European continent. Its hybrid operations, including sabotage, cyberattacks, drone activity, and disinformation, continued to threaten the security and prosperity of European countries.

As Ukrinform previously reported, on October 20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks in Oslo with U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb also took part. The parties discussed ways to end the war, security guarantees for Ukraine, territorial issues, and sanctions. Following the meeting, Witkoff traveled to Russia to continue the talks.