(MENAFN- UkrinForm) It is the Ukrainians who should first and foremost decide on achieving peace in Ukraine, but Europeans should also be involved in the process.
This was stated by Friedrich Merz, head of the Christian Democratic Union and candidate for the Chancellor's post in the upcoming elections, who spoke at a press conference in Berlin following the meeting of the leaders of the countries represented in the European People's Party, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
He described the current situation in Ukraine as "extremely critical", noting that the most important thing now is to achieve peace as soon as possible. The goal is to make sure that the weapons fall silent and that the peace is lasting, the politician noted.
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However, the CDU leader emphasized, "peace cannot be achieved by anyone over the heads of Ukrainians," it must be discussed with the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian government.
“It is important that Europeans continue to be involved in the process,” the CDU leader emphasized, adding that all further issues will have to be resolved when the time comes.
Merz recalled that he was in Kyiv before Christmas and informed about plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos next week.
The CDU leader confirmed that the Ukraine issue had been discussed in detail at the meeting in Berlin, adding that the discussion saw no decisions taken.
The head of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber noted that last year, Europe adopted many critical decisions on Ukraine, all of which must be implemented.
European politicians also spoke about the administration change in Washington next Monday. In this context, it was emphasized that Europe must speak with the new administration in the United States with one voice and on equal footing, including on the topic of security of Europe and its eastern regions.
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Both politicians noted that the latest ceasefire in Gaza shows that similar solutions can be achieved elsewhere.
As reported, the leaders of a dozen EU countries, led by representatives of conservative parties, as well as the heads of EU bodies, held a closed meeting in Berlin on January 17-18, where they adopted a program for 2025 and discussed European issues, including security.
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