Merz had already expressed his doubts to the press, stating that a meeting between President Zelenskyy and President Putin was “obviously not going to happen.”
Trump warned of “consequences” if the meeting does not occur.
During Friday’s talks in Toulon, Macron and Merz pledged increased support for Ukraine, where recent Russian strikes have further questioned Putin’s peace intentions. They also set common goals on European issues such as energy and financial services.
Macron announced that the “coalition of the willing,” Western nations working on Ukraine’s security guarantees, would speak with Trump this weekend and meet next week.
Paris and Berlin enhanced defense collaboration by launching a “strategic dialogue” on nuclear deterrence and developing an “early warning system” for NATO allies about missile launches.
The two nations made little progress on their stalled Future Combat Air System project.
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