“Longer than we can imagine”: German Chancellor assesses the timeline for the end of the war in Ukraine

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that the war in Ukraine “will last longer than we all wish or can imagine.”

Merz made this statement in an interview with WDR.

According to the German Chancellor, given the unsuccessful attempts to establish a ceasefire in Ukraine, he has come to the conclusion that proposals for negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin cannot currently lead to a resolution of the conflict.

“It’s obvious that Putin perceives proposals for negotiations as a sign of weakness,” Merz said.

He added that if even a proposal to meet in the Vatican “does not meet with approval from the Russian leadership, then we will probably have to come to terms with the fact that this war will last longer than we all wish or can imagine.”

It’s worth noting that today, Merz also announced that the UK, France, Germany, and the U.S. have lifted restrictions on the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

The Kremlin has already said that Europe’s decision to lift the range restrictions on missiles for Ukraine — “if it has indeed been made” — poses a danger and “runs counter to efforts at a settlement.”