"Please, no surprises!" Merz warned Trump against a second Anchorage
German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on US President Donald Trump not to make unexpected decisions during potential talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Ukraine. They are expected to take place on November 18–19 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China, Deutsche Welle reports .
Friedrich Merz. Photo: Paulo Nunes dos Santos/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Friedrich Merz made this statement on November 13 during the European Political Community summit in Ireland. According to him, some participants of the meeting in Dublin fear that a new meeting between Trump and Putin could turn into a "second Anchorage."
The Chancellor was hinting at the negotiations between the two presidents in Alaska in August 2025. At that time, Putin discussed with the American side, among other things, Ukraine's potential relinquishment of the Donbas, while Ukrainian representatives did not participate in the talks.
"Therefore, I want to convey our message to the US very clearly: please, no surprises! Continue to act as one team with Europe and Ukraine," Merz stated.
The German Chancellor also emphasized that future negotiations with Russia should not focus on discussing a "new security architecture" in Europe. In his view, the main question is under what conditions Ukraine's security can be guaranteed after peace is achieved. However, he noted, this peace must first be achieved.