Merz stated the need for Germany to become a guarantor of Ukraine's security.

Germany, along with other NATO member states, should become one of the guarantors of security for Ukraine after the conflict ends, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a speech in parliament on December 17.

"Germany, in the circle of [NATO] allies, should contribute to providing security guarantees to Ukraine after the ceasefire," the politician said. The broadcast was carried out on the parliament's website.

According to him, the specific aspects of such a contribution "will need to be discussed in due course." The head of the Cabinet also expressed the hope that the diplomatic process that has begun "will be brought to an end."

Step back: The Pentagon has suspended cooperation with Germany on Ukraine

The break in contacts occurred against the background of the US decision to suspend part of the aid to Kiev.

John Sparks, an international correspondent for Sky News, noted on December 15 that Merz, at a press conference with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, acknowledged that Kiev had a chance to achieve "real peace." The German politician announced that he had achieved the "greatest" diplomatic momentum on this issue after more than seven hours of negotiations with Zelensky.

On December 11, Merz announced that Europe had submitted a proposal for territorial concessions to Ukraine to US President Donald Trump. He said that during a very detailed conversation with the American leader, he got the impression that the head of the White House was ready to take into account the position of the Europeans.

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