Angela Merkel Rejects Role as Mediator in Potential EU Peace Talks

Angela Merkel, rejected the proposal to serve as an EU mediator in potential peace talks with Russia aimed at resolving Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking at the WDR Europaforum, Merkel explained that she does not believe it is possible to conduct diplomacy with the Kremlin without holding actual political power, according to Hasepost on May 18.

She noted that negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin following the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of hostilities in Donbas were only possible because she and then-French President François Hollande were active heads of state.

The former German leader expressed deep skepticism about sending former politicians to negotiate with current world leaders. "Personally, it would never occur to me to ask a mediator to go to Minsk in my place and speak with Putin there," Merkel stated during the forum.

Her statement comes amid intense ongoing discussions within the European Union regarding the structure of possible future diplomatic contact with Moscow.

Prior to her refusal, Merkel was considered a top candidate for the role by European Union sources and expert Andreas Umland due to her personal acquaintance with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Proponents of her candidacy also highlighted her fluency in the Russian language and her perceived neutrality, which stems from her distance from current active politics.

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These requirements led to the consideration of alternative figures, such as Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, who possesses extensive diplomatic experience in the Middle East, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who maintains functional relationships with both sides.

Meanwhile, Putin previously suggested that another former German Chancellor, 82-year-old Gerhard Schröder, who led Germany from 1998 to 2005, should be brought in as a mediator. The European Union quickly rejected the proposal. Schröder has faced continuous criticism for his close personal friendship with Putin and his past employment at Russian state-owned oil and gas corporations.

Although Schröder has described the current war as a mistake and previously traveled to Moscow with a peace plan, his initiative was dismissed. His proposed framework required Ukraine to drop its aspirations to join NATO and cede Crimea to Russia, while keeping the Donbas region under the condition that Russian would become a second official state language.

Previously, the European Union explored the possibility of involving former German Chancellor Angela Merkel as a mediator in negotiations with Russia. EU sources suggested that Merkel’s fluency in the Russian language and her retirement made her a relatively neutral candidate.

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