German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on the United States to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the G20 summit in Miami if Russian President Vladimir Putin attends. Speaking during a meeting with Zelenskyy in Berlin, Merz said Ukraine must be represented in discussions about its future and called it unacceptable for other countries to discuss the country’s fate without its involvement.
US President Donald Trump has invited Putin to the summit, scheduled for December 14 and 15. It remains unclear whether the Russian leader will attend. Merz and Chinese President Xi Jinping are also expected in Florida. Russia remains a member of the G20, but Putin last attended a summit in person in 2019.
Merz also urged European partners to continue supporting Ukraine, saying Germany’s assistance would remain unchanged. He said NATO had agreed on 70 billion euros in military support for Ukraine in 2026 and that all partners should meet their commitments. Merz argued that the war’s outcome would shape European security for years and said responsibility for helping Ukraine rested with all European countries, not Germany alone.
The chancellor said Berlin would host a meeting on November 19 of countries supporting Ukraine through the Coalition of the Willing.
The Berlin meeting came ahead of planned talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the discussions would address postwar security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures and further steps toward peace. Witkoff also said US negotiators were due to meet European and NATO representatives in Brussels on Wednesday. A European Commission spokesperson said national security advisers and World Bank representatives would take part, while the US delegation had not yet been confirmed.
Sources: Der Spiegel.