“If such a necessity arises, and if it helps end the war, I am ready for many things. But first and foremost, we need to see whether we can achieve the ceasefire goal this weekend.”

Axar.az reports that these remarks were made by Germany’s new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, in response to a question about the possibility of a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Merz stated that Europe is acting in close coordination with the United States and is calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.

“The ball is now in Putin’s court. He is the one who must respond to this proposal,” the Chancellor said.