German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that the war in Ukraine will only end when one of the parties is exhausted militarily or economically.

Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, stated that there are no favorable prospects for a quick end to the war in Ukraine through negotiations, arguing that the conflict will only end when one of the parties is exhausted, either militarily or economically.

Merz emphasized that reason and humanitarian arguments will not convince Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the goal of European efforts should be to ensure that Russia can no longer continue the war.

He described the situation in Russia as bleak, stating that Russian power depends on the continuation of the war, without a clear plan for the traumatized soldiers returning from the front. The war, which began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is approaching its fifth year, and recent negotiations in Geneva have not yielded significant progress.