Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel on May 19 shared in an interview with public radio and television WDR: "I think the military support we have provided so far is completely right. I also think doing more to create a deterrent effect in addition to support for Ukraine is necessary. What I regret is that in my opinion, Europe has not fully utilized its diplomatic potential.
The former German Chancellor emphasized: "It is not possible to just let Mr. Trump maintain contact with Russia.
Pressure is rising in Europe regarding the appointment of special envoys for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in the context that US President Donald Trump's negotiating group is mainly focusing on the US-Israel conflict with Iran. Both Moscow and Kiev are signaling their willingness to accept such an intermediary.
On May 19, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that there is currently no plan to appoint a negotiator representing the entire EU. The German Chancellor, who is also a member of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) like Merkel, added that discussions on this issue are still taking place at the European level as well as in a narrower framework with France and the UK. However, he also warned against over-expecting.
Above all, we hope to strengthen Moscow's goodwill in sitting at the negotiating table. As long as the Russian government is not ready to negotiate, we do not need to make any decisions on our side regarding the issue of representation," Mr. Merz said when answering reporters' questions at a press conference in Berlin with his Bulgarian counterpart.
Ms. Merkel, who served as German Chancellor from 2005-2021, said she had proposed establishing a diplomatic dialogue mechanism between the EU and Russia at her last meeting at the European Council in October 2021, the end of her term, about 4 months before the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out. However, she noted, the plan failed because countries in the bloc had different views on how to deal with Russia.
We must continue to work until we reach a common position. Diplomacy is always the other side of the coin, even during the Cold War" - she said about the differences between the parties in the EU.
Merkel's political legacy in recent years has become the focus of attention as Germany is increasingly dependent on Russian gas during her time in power. Criticism has continuously increased after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out.
However, Ms. Merkel's previous negotiation experience with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky makes her one of the potential candidates for the role of EU peace special envoy to support conflict resolution.
However, Ms. Merkel noted that her office has not received any official proposals in this direction. She also emphasized that only incumbent leaders have enough prestige to be negotiators.
After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Ms. Merkel and the then French President mediated in 2014 and 2015 to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine.
