German Chancellor Merz 'mentally preparing' for war in Ukraine to 'drag on'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was "mentally preparing" for Russia's war in Ukraine to "drag on for a long time", as he “harbours no illusions" regarding Moscow's desire to end it now.

Speaking in an interview on Sunday with German public broadcaster ZDF, Merz said he has not lost hope in a ceasefire or peace deal, "but certainly not at the price of Ukraine’s capitulation."

"You could end the war tomorrow if Ukraine surrendered, gave up, and lost its independence," Merz said, adding that this could lead to Moscow feeling emboldened to invade another country. "That is not an option," he explained.

In recent months, Berlin, alongside other Western nations, has been rallying behind a renewed diplomatic push to bring the war to an end.

However, Moscow has been accused of avoiding serious negotiations and dragging its feet in peace efforts following no progress after the US-Russia summit in Alaska in August.

Since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has provided or promised military assistance totalling more than €40 billion, making Berlin Ukraine's second largest military backer after Washington.

The support will continue, the German chancellor said.

"The number one priority is supporting the Ukrainian army so that they can defend this country in the long term. That is the absolute priority, and we will begin doing that now," he emphasised.

No talks on deploying boots on the ground

On Sunday, Merz stated that current discussions with allies are not about sending Western ground forces into Ukraine, but rather on potential security assurances meant to strengthen Ukraine following a future truce.

"Nobody is talking about ground troops in Ukraine at this point,” he said.

Merz's comments come at a key time in talks on a possible end to Moscow's all-out war, after US-led talks stalled and massive Russian attacks intensified, killing dozens of civilians across Ukraine in recent days.

On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed frustration with what he called Russia’s lack of constructive engagement. 

US President Donald Trump recently stated that he would know within weeks whether the Kremlin was serious about entering negotiations, but many of Trump's prior deadlines have passed without resolution.