Zelensky, Merz back creation of Contact Group to formulate European stance on ending war

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, a chancellor candidate from the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, has proposed the creation of a Contact Group of four countries to develop a unified European stance on ending the war against Ukraine.

Merz said this before negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Monday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

The German politician noted that in the coming "weeks and months," there should be no separate peace initiatives from individual European countries, but rather a unified, pan-European approach.

"It's not just about the European Union. I propose creating a Contact Group consisting of Germany, France, Poland, and the United Kingdom -- four major European and NATO countries -- so that they could exchange views on ending the war against Ukraine and work to develop a common vision in cooperation with the United States. I believe we should discuss how you perceive such an idea," Merz said.

In response to this proposal, Zelensky noted: "It's interesting to see how our opinions align."

"I support your proposal to create a Contact Group. To be honest, we have already organized it. The countries you mentioned [have already joined], and we are also counting on Denmark as a representative of the Nordic group. We are counting on all of them, but Denmark could represent the Nordic team. We plan to hold such a meeting in December. As you can see, we already share many similar views," Zelensky said.

Merz responded by saying: "That's very good."

Merz arrived in Kyiv on Monday, December 9. He stated that his bloc supports supplying Ukraine with long-range weapons capable of targeting military sites inside Russia.