Almost two thirds of Germans want Merz to hold direct talks with Putin about Ukraine

A majority of Germans surveyed (58%) spoke in favor of direct talks between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

This is according to the results of a YouGov poll conducted for the dpa.

Twenty-six percent of respondents opposed direct talks. The poll also suggests that support for such negotiations strongly depends on party preferences: they are most often backed by supporters of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, of which Merz is a member (64%), and least often by supporters of The Left (47%).

Merz himself has expressed skepticism about such talks, noting that after Viktor Orbán visited Moscow, Russian shelling only intensified.

“I don’t want to conduct negotiations that lead to such results. But I would like to support any negotiations that serve the goal of ending this war,” Merz said.

According to the German chancellor, he supports negotiations with Russia with the participation of Ukraine and the United States.

Recall that the idea of direct talks with Putin is being promoted by French President Emmanuel Macron. In addition to Merz, the idea is also opposed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.