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Ukraine Must Not Be Pressured Into Donbas Surrender, Says German Chancellor Merz
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz dismissed suggestions that Ukraine should be pressured into giving up Donbas to Russia, drawing a sharp comparison to the United States ceding one of its own states, The Guardian reported on August 19.
“The Russian demand that Kyiv give up the free parts of Donbas corresponds, to put it bluntly, to a proposal for the United States to have to give up Florida,” Merz told reporters following White House talks on Monday.
He confirmed that during a call held amid the discussions, “Putin and Trump agreed that there would be a meeting between the Russian president and the Ukrainian president within the next two weeks.”
According to The Guardian, citing Agence France-Presse, Merz also noted that Trump expressed readiness to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, though he placed the primary responsibility for such commitments on European allies.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, warned against any territorial concessions to Russia, underscoring that millions of Ukrainians live on the lands Moscow seeks to claim.
“This is not a computer game where you can hand over territory and keep playing with a single mouse click. Millions of Ukrainians live there, and they are now under Russian occupation,” Makeiev said, according to the German outlet tagesschau.de.
The ambassador stressed that the question of territorial concessions as part of a possible peace settlement is extraordinarily difficult for Ukraine, noting that it touches not only on sovereignty but also on the lives of its citizens. He emphasized that Ukraine cannot be forced into compromises that would sacrifice its people and land.
Makeiev also pointed to the strong unity of Western allies shown during the recent Washington summit, saying this proves the democratic world remains firmly at Ukraine’s side.
Commenting on Moscow’s position, he expressed skepticism about Russia’s willingness to engage in real negotiations. “We will see whether Putin agrees or once again only tries to buy time. We know this tactic—creating various working groups and dragging out discussions while continuing to attack Ukraine with missiles and bombs every day,” he said.
Earlier, following their bilateral talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump joined European leaders in Washington, D.C., underscoring united support for Ukraine and a shared commitment to building lasting peace in Europe.
