German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking at the G20 and in direct talks with President Trump, emphasized that any peace settlement to end the Russia-Ukraine war must be reached with Ukraine’s full, unconditional consent—and with Europe at the table. Merz underscored that “wars cannot be ended by major powers over the heads of the countries affected,” pointing to the EU’s central stake in Ukraine’s security and warning that Ukraine’s defeat would reverberate across the continent.