Efforts by Ukraine’s partners to achieve peace have yielded a small but meaningful diplomatic breakthrough, and they must now continue to support Ukraine by all means, including militarily.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated this during the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania, on Friday, May 16, Ukrinform reports.
Merz recalled that last Saturday, he, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, visited Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“We did this not only to demonstrate our personal commitment to this country and to the European political order, but also, I hope, on behalf of all of you. The four of us — and I hope all of you — are firmly resolved to continue providing strong support to this country: political, economic, financial, and military,” Merz said.
He described the Istanbul negotiations as “a very small diplomatic success,” noting that the fact the parties sat down together for the first time in over three years is “a very small but first positive signal.”
“We need to do more on the diplomatic front, but we must also be very clear about our military support for this country [Ukraine]. There should be no doubt about our commitment to continue this support,” Merz said.
He also addressed relations with the United States, saying Europeans must do everything possible to keep the U.S. on their side.
“Europe cannot replace or compensate for what the Americans have done for us, for peace and freedom on this continent,” Merz said.
On European security, Merz called for greater efficiency in joint arms procurement, stating that such cooperation is not aimed against anyone outside Europe but is solely for self-defense.
“The European continent faces a challenge we haven’t seen in decades — a brutal and intense war in Ukraine. It’s not just a war against one state, which would already be terrible, but a war directly targeting the entire political order of our continent,” he concluded.
On May 16, the European Political Community summit is taking place in Tirana, Albania, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also delivered remarks.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Source: Merz: Meeting in Turkey a small but first diplomatic success
