Germany's Merz asks Trump for 'no surprises' from Putin talks

BERLIN: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday (Nov 13) urged US President Donald Trump not to spring any surprises during expected talks on Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China next week.

"Some here in Dublin fear this could turn into a 'second Anchorage moment'," said Merz, referring to the Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage, Alaska, that European leaders had viewed as a potentially pivotal moment in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

"I therefore want to state our message to the United States very clearly: please, no surprises. Continue to play as part of 'Team Europe' and 'Team Ukraine'."

Merz is pushing for EU leaders to commit to supporting Ukraine as part of negotiations on the bloc's long-term budget.

He said the proposal had received broad backing, although an agreement remained a long way off.

Following meetings between US and Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi this week, substantive peace negotiations are expected to begin in the coming weeks, with European participation for the first time, said Merz.

He rejected Russia's calls to place Europe's security architecture at the centre of the talks, arguing that framework already existed in the form of NATO.

"The upcoming discussions must focus on one central question: within what framework can Ukraine's security be guaranteed once peace is achieved? First, however, we must actually reach that peace."