(16 May 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA AGENCY POOL (RTV)
Tirana, Albania – 16 May 2025
1. SOUNDBITE (German) Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor:
"Within a few days, we have spoken for the second time today with this group and (Ukrainian) President Zelensky about the progress of efforts for ceasefire talks with Russia. I am very grateful that we had the opportunity to discuss this again today in Tirana."
++BLACK FRAMES++
2. SOUNDBITE (German) Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor:
"We agree that the Russian side had a good opportunity to hold first talks this week on a peace agreement with a preceding ceasefire agreement. We are very disappointed that this did not take place. The ball was entirely in Russia’s court, all conditions were met to hold a good first meeting. We have just discussed this again with (US) President (Donald) Trump, and we keep him continuously updated on the progress of the talks on our side. We have agreed with (Ukrainian) President Zelensky to continue this and to repeatedly make offers in the coming days and weeks to come to talks."
++BLACK FRAMES++
3. SOUNDBITE (German) Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor:
"But it must also be clear that we stand together on this side, this is the European Union, this is the coalition of the willing, and we are strongly determined to keep helping Ukraine so that this terrible war comes to an end. The diplomatic efforts that we have made so far have unfortunately failed because of Russia’s lack of readiness to take the first steps in the right direction now, but we will not give up; we will continue and we will coordinate well on the European side, together with the Americans."
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday that European leaders had spoken to US President Donald Trump and discussed the latest developments in talks between Ukraine and Russia.
Merz said European leaders remained committed to keep helping Ukraine "so that this terrible war comes to an end."
He blamed Russia for the lack of progress in ceasefire talks, adding "the diplomatic efforts that we have made so far have unfortunately failed because of Russia’s lack of readiness to take the first steps in the right direction now, but we will not give up; we will continue and we will coordinate well on the European side, together with the Americans.”
European leaders have agreed with Trump that Russia’s position in ceasefire talks with Ukraine is unacceptable and they intend to coordinate a response, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday.
Russia and Ukraine held their first first direct peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow’s full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. The latest Russia-Ukraine talks were held in Turkey on Friday, but they ended after less than two hours, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry and a Ukrainian official.
Kyiv accused the Kremlin of introducing new “unacceptable demands” to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths of territory, according to the official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to make official statements.
Earlier, Zelenskyy had said that Ukraine is committed to ending the war, but urged dozens of European leaders to ramp up sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to play for time in talks aimed at securing a truce.
Zelenskyy’s remarks came after Putin declined to attend face-to-face talks.
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