Merkel rejects mediator role and criticizes EU over diplomatic failures

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized the European Union for insufficient diplomatic engagement with Russia and categorically rejected a proposal to take on the role of mediator in possible peace negotiations over Ukraine.

Speaking at the WDR European Forum at the Republica digital technology conference on May 18, Merkel said she regretted that Europe “is not making full use of its diplomatic potential.” She said negotiations with Moscow should not be left solely to U.S. President Donald Trump. Merkel also stressed that diplomacy had always been an indispensable complement to military strategy — even during the Cold War — and called on the EU to combine military deterrence with active diplomatic efforts.

According to available reports, the EU had considered appointing Merkel as a mediator, given her fluency in Russian and her previous contacts with both Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Merkel made clear that she did not consider herself a suitable candidate for the role, stating that only those who currently hold real power can be convincing negotiators.

“We were able to conduct those negotiations with President Putin only because we had political power, because we were heads of government. That power is necessary. And it would never have occurred to me personally to ask a mediator to go to Minsk on my behalf and speak with Putin,” Politico quotes her as saying.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, for his part, responded that European countries would decide for themselves who would speak on their behalf. He said there are currently no plans to appoint a single EU negotiator: discussions are continuing both at the European level and in a narrower format involving France and the United Kingdom.

The debate over EU representation in peace negotiations intensified in early May after Moscow proposed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a mediator. That proposal was quickly rejected by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who said it would be “not very smart” to let the Kremlin choose the mediator.

According to the Financial Times, European Council President António Costa said the EU has the “potential” to negotiate with Putin. Merz suggested in late April that Ukraine might ultimately have to agree to territorial concessions as part of a peace agreement, linking them to the prospect of EU membership.