Key facts
- Merz said his message to the US was "please, no surprises" ahead of expected Trump-Putin talks in China.
- Merz said some in Dublin feared the talks could become a "second Anchorage moment".
- Merz said substantive peace negotiations with European participation for the first time are expected in the coming weeks.
- Merz rejected Russia's calls to put Europe's security architecture at the center of the talks, citing NATO.
- Merz is pushing EU leaders to commit to supporting Ukraine in long-term budget negotiations.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on November 13, 2026 that he had urged US President Donald Trump not to spring surprises during expected talks on Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China, Reuters reported from Berlin.
"I therefore want to state our message to the United States very clearly: please, no surprises. Continue to play as part of 'Team Europe' and 'Team Ukraine'," Merz said. He referred to the Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage, Alaska, saying some in Dublin feared the coming talks could become a "second Anchorage moment". European leaders had viewed that summit as a potentially pivotal moment in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Merz is pushing for EU leaders to commit to supporting Ukraine as part of negotiations on the bloc's long-term budget. He said the proposal had received broad backing, although an agreement remained a long way off.
Following meetings between US and Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi during the week before November 13, substantive peace negotiations are expected to begin in the coming weeks, with European participation for the first time, Merz said. He rejected Russia's calls to place Europe's security architecture at the center of the talks, arguing that framework already existed in the form of NATO.
"The upcoming discussions must focus on one central question: within what framework can Ukraine's security be guaranteed once peace is achieved? First, however, we must actually reach that peace," he said.