German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, “skeptical” about the details of the American proposals for Ukraine: “We have to discuss the details”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said he was “skeptical” about “certain details” of the US proposals on Ukraine at the start of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer in London, according to AFP.

“I'm skeptical about some of the details we're seeing in the documents coming from the United States, but we need to discuss them. That's why we're here,” Merz said, without specifying which documents he was referring to. This moment “could be decisive for all of us”, he added.

For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron assessed that, for the completion of negotiations on Ukraine, the “main obstacle” is “the convergence between our common positions, between Europeans and Ukrainians, and the United States.”

At the same time, Starmer spoke about the importance of unity between Europe, Ukraine and the United States. “There are things we cannot manage without the Americans…we cannot manage without Europe,” Zelenski said, according to The Guardian.

Trump criticized Zelensky

Donald Trump said Sunday night that Volodymyr Zelenskiy is “not ready” to sign the peace plan drawn up by the US to end the war in Ukraine.

The US president's statement came at the end of three days of negotiations between Washington and Kiev in Florida.

“I'm a little disappointed that President Zelenskiy hasn't read the proposal that was presented a few hours ago. His people love it, but he doesn't,” Trump said during a call with reporters.

Moreover, the White House leader expressed confidence that Moscow would also accept the negotiated peace agreement.

“I think Russia agrees with (the plan), but I'm not sure Zelensky agrees with it. His people love him. But he's not ready,” Trump said.

Three days of talks between US and Ukrainian officials ended on Saturday with no apparent progress, with Zelenskiy calling the talks “constructive, though not easy”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly expressed his agreement with the White House's plan and said last week that certain aspects of Trump's proposal were impossible to implement.

On Monday morning, Zelenski told Bloomberg News that the US peace plan required further discussions on “sensitive issues”, including security guarantees for Ukraine and control of its eastern territories.

“There are views of the US, Russia and Ukraine – and we don't have a unified view of Donbas,” Zelenskiy said.

He added that Kiev is seeking a separate pact on security guarantees from Western allies, especially the US.