German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled his Friday schedule to discuss with Zelensky and European leaders about the peace initiative of the USA and Russia.

Friedrich Merz has decided to cancel his plans for Friday to have an urgent phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This discussion focuses on the plan proposed by the US and Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

European leaders will also meet on Saturday, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa, to discuss the next steps in this context. Finnish President Alexander Stubb is also expected to attend the meeting. Merz has changed his initial plans to visit a school in Berlin to formulate an appropriate response to the peace initiative. European leaders intend to also hold a phone conversation with the United States to discuss the details of this initiative.