German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Tuesday that if Russia is unwilling to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, European support for the invaded nation can continue for a “long time,” predicting that Moscow will not win the conflict and will instead pay a heavy price.
“Ukraine is part of Europe, and if Ukraine falls, the peace and freedom of all of Europe will be at risk,” Merz said during a press conference with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, following a bilateral meeting in Berlin.
Merz referred to a meeting held in New York over the weekend between German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, the first such meeting since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow’s assessment of that conversation demonstrated that the Kremlin “has not the slightest interest in serious talks at this time,” leaving Berlin with no choice but to appeal to the Russian government to come to the negotiating table, he said.
“However, if Russia is not ready, we are in a position to support Ukraine for a long time. Russia will not win this war and will suffer massive damage to its economy, which we can already see is in a precarious situation today. Russia will pay the price if it continues this war,” he warned.
Militarily, economic, political and financial support
Merz pledged to continue supporting Ukraine militarily, economically, politically, and financially, reiterating that the “greatest vulnerability” currently facing Kyiv is a shortage of air defense systems. He urged other heads of state and government to step up assistance in this area.
For his part, Tokayev advocated a freezing of hostilities in Ukraine along current front lines, paving “the path toward diplomacy and negotiations.”
The Kazakh president highlighted his “very good relations” with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, whom he described as an “outstanding political figure” with “his own vision of his country’s strategic goals.”
Kazakhstan favors “adherence to the UN Charter and ensuring every country preserves its territorial integrity,” while maintaining friendly ties with both Russia and Ukraine, he said.
Regarding Kyiv, Kazakhstan values Ukrainian culture, tradition, history, and language, Tokayev said.
However, given its more than 7,000-kilometer border with Russia, the longest continuous land border in the world, and the 2.7 million citizens of Russian descent living in the Central Asian nation, Kazakhstan holds good relations with Moscow in high regard, he emphasized. EFE