BERLIN

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday expressed skepticism about achieving a diplomatic breakthrough between Russia and Ukraine, warning that the conflict could continue for an extended period.

In an interview with public broadcaster ZDF, Merz reaffirmed that despite US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent actions clearly demonstrate his lack of interest in negotiations.

"I'm not giving up hope that we can achieve this. But I'm also under no illusions," the conservative leader said, adding that history shows that wars typically end in one of two ways: either through a military defeat on one side or through economic and military exhaustion.

“But I don't see that happening on either side at the moment, either. So I am preparing myself mentally for the fact that this war could go on for a long time. We are trying to end it as quickly as possible. But certainly not at the price of Ukraine's surrender,” Merz said.

When asked about Western security guarantees and whether Germany would send ground troops to Ukraine as part of a potential peace agreement, the chancellor argued that troop deployment is not a primary topic in current diplomatic negotiations.

“We're currently trying to formulate security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire. And the number one priority is supporting the Ukrainian army so that they can defend their country in the long term. That's the absolute priority,” Merz said.

“Many things can only be implemented once there's a ceasefire. That requires an agreement with Russia, and this agreement will, of course, have conditions on both sides. On our side, the condition is that Ukraine permanently maintains its independence, its freedom, and its freedom to choose its own alliances,” he continued.

The chancellor also clarified that any decision on Germany's contribution to these security guarantees -- whether sending peacekeeping troops or providing air defense support -- will be determined by the German parliament, the Bundestag.

“Nobody is talking about ground troops in Ukraine at this point. A Bundestag mandate, which I mentioned, applies to every military deployment abroad. And even if we were only to protect the airspace over Ukraine, we would need a Bundestag mandate for that,” he said.