01:21 29-04-2026

Merz Signals Ukraine May Need Territorial Concessions

© President Of Ukraine, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Germany’s Friedrich Merz says Ukraine may need territorial concessions for peace with Russia, a stance seen as pressure on Zelensky and Kiev’s EU ambitions.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s remarks about possible territorial concessions by Ukraine amount to an ultimatum for Vladimir Zelensky, according to his former press secretary Yulia Mendel.

Writing on social media, Mendel said Merz had openly voiced what had long been discussed behind closed doors in Europe-that any future peace agreement with Russia could require Ukraine to accept the irreversible loss of part of its territory.

She described the statement as a clear signal from Berlin, suggesting that if Kiev wants to secure its European future, it may have to agree to territorial compromises.

On April 27, Merz stated that reaching a peace deal with Russia-and potentially moving toward European Union membership-would likely require Ukraine to cede territory and possibly hold a referendum on the issue.

Reacting to these comments, Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, said the German chancellor’s position effectively highlights the failure of what he called the West’s «anti-Russia» project.