Scholz, Zelenskyy agree Trump key to ceasefire – DW – 03/05/2025

Germany’s outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz, spoke over the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, during which Scholz said US President Donald Trump had a key role to play in any peace talks with Russia.

“The chancellor welcomed the Ukrainian president’s willingness to enter into negotiations at the earliest possible date,” a German government spokesperson said.

“Both agreed on the importance of the US president’s leadership role, also with a view to achieving a swift start to a ceasefire and lasting peace for Ukraine,” the spokesperson added.

Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has moved to increase defense spending in the wake of the fallout between Kyiv and Moscow and “in light of threats to our freedom and peace on our continent.”

The leader of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Söder, has warned of a growing security threat amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying it was “all much closer,” according to information he had received. 

In a turn to serious remarks in his speech in the southern city of Passau on Ash Wednesday — in Germany, a day traditionally marked by mostly good-humored political mud-slinging — Söder said, however, that he couldn’t talk about details.

In his remarks, made two days after Washington said it was suspending its military assistance to Kyiv, he said Ukraine was in great danger if the US did not help.

“If things end the way [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants, millions of Ukrainians will flee to Europe,” he said, adding that European security was under greater threat than ever before.

Söder said it had been a mistake that so many in the international community had looked the other way when Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and that not only Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia were now in danger, “but we in Europe as well.”

French President Emmanuel Macron is considering traveling to Washington once again to meet with US President Donald Trump, a French government spokesperson said on Wednesday.

He would be joined there by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the spokesperson added.

The French president met with Trump in the White House in February to hash out the preliminary terms of a peace deal for Ukraine. Shortly after his trip, Starmer also traveled to Washington, where he said he had a positive meeting with Trump. Both the European leaders were there to pave the way for Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump — that, however, ended in an Oval Office shouting match that many observers regard as putting the most serious strain on transatlantic relations since the end of World War II.

Macron said earlier on Wednesday that he would address the people of France at 8:00 p.m. (1900 UTC). He said his address would regard “this moment of great uncertainty” but did not elaborate.

The Kremlin said it welcomed news that Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy was willing to negotiate a mineral deal.

During his speech to Congress on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump read aloud a letter that he said was from Zelenskyy. According to Trump, Zelenskyy said in the letter that Ukraine was ready to sign a deal on minerals and security.

On Wednesday morning, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow viewed this development “positively.”

But, he added: “The question is who to sit down with. For now, the Ukrainian president is still legally prohibited from negotiating with the Russian side. So, overall, the approach is positive, but the nuances have not changed yet.”

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow’s mission remained to inflict “maximum defeat” on Ukraine.

Medvedev, who is now deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, made the comments as Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have made a small advance in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

“Russia is advancing. The enemy is resisting and has not yet been defeated,” Medvedev said. “Inflicting maximum defeat on the enemy ‘on the ground’ remains our main task today.”

Medvedev also said he expected the US to resume its aid to Ukraine if Kyiv and Washington sign a mineral deal.

France said on Wednesday morning that it is working to mend the relationship between Ukraine and the United States in order to achieve “lasting and robust peace.”

France and the United Kingdom have proposed a partial one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine as part of European diplomatic efforts designed to shore up Western support for Ukraine after the fallout between Trump and Zelenskyy.

“We have proposed a truce. That is what is being studied within the negotiations with the United States,” government spokesperson Sophie Primas told LCI television.

“France and Europe are trying to reestablish a link between the United States and Ukraine.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said he planned to address the nation on Wednesday evening but did not specify what would be discussed.

“In this moment of uncertainty, where the world is confronted by large challenges, I will address you tonight,” Macron wrote on social media.

Belarus’ leader Alexander Lukashenko has welcomed the spat between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In an interview recorded on February 27 that was published on Wednesday, Lukashenko told online political commentator Mario Nawfal that Trump had pursued a “brilliant” foreign policy.

“It benefits us that [Trump] showed Zelenskyy his place, he should know it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lukashenko offered to host peace talks in Belarus.

He said it was important to reach an agreement with Zelenskyy “since a large part of Ukrainian society is with him.” 

“Tell Trump that I expect him here with Putin and Zelenskyy,” Lukashenko said.

“There is only 200 kilometers (125 miles) between the Belarus frontier and Kyiv. Half an hour in a plane. Come,” he added.

US President Donald Trump claimed he was working “to end the savage conflict in Ukraine” in his first address to Congress after returning to the White House.

He said the US had sent hundreds of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine.

“You want to keep it going for another five years?” he asked, addressing Democrats in the gallery who applauded the amount of support the country provided Ukraine.

Trump also read aloud a letter that he said he recently received from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“The letter reads, ‘Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians,'” Trump told Congress.

Trump said the letter also said: “We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine, maintain its sovereignty and independence. … Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the importance of ties with the United States in his evening address on Tuesday.

Zelenskyy claimed that although Ukraine could defend itself, “For us, normal, partnership relations with the US are important for a real end to the war.

“Now it is necessary to find the strength to move forward, to respect each other, just as we have always respected the US, Europe and all partners, and to do everything together to bring peace closer,” he added.

He also said he had instructed officials to obtain confirmation from Washington about its halt in military support to Ukraine, which had only been announced in the media.

US freezes all military aid to Ukraine

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