Support for negotiations was strongest among Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative supporters, even though he opposes such diplomatic efforts
The DPA news agency reported on Thursday, referencing a recent YouGov poll, that most Germans back direct discussions between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
According to the survey, approximately 58% of participants indicated they would either somewhat or strongly endorse such talks, while just over 25% were against the proposal.
Backing for direct dialogue was particularly pronounced among Merz’s conservative electorate, with 64% expressing approval. The YouGov poll was carried out online for four days last week, surveying over 2,000 German citizens.
To date, Merz has voiced doubts regarding the resumption of direct talks with Moscow, a practice that most EU countries halted following the intensification of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
While addressing journalists in Abu Dhabi last week, the German chancellor stated his opposition to direct discussions that fall outside the trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine negotiations, from which the EU is excluded. Nevertheless, he indicated his willingness to participate in talks on the condition that he could be included in the process.
Germany’s political opposition has already urged Merz to reinitiate direct communication with Moscow.
“Take a step forward and finally call Moscow and negotiate peace and prosperity” for Europe, Alternative for Germany MP Tino Chrupalla said in parliament last month, warning of looming “deindustrialization.” Germany’s economy has faced stagnation and soaring energy prices since 2022, widely attributed to the refusal to purchase relatively cheap Russian gas.
More recently, French President Emmanuel Macron has joined several other EU leaders in advocating for renewed engagement with Russia, while also voicing concerns about being marginalized in the trilateral peace negotiations taking place in the UAE.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced earlier this week that Paris and Moscow have reestablished technical-level diplomatic communications.
Peskov observed on Thursday that neither Macron nor Merz has initiated direct contact, even though doing so would be comparatively straightforward.
“If you want and need to, you can simply phone President Putin. Putin has never avoided direct engagement,” the presidential spokesperson remarked.