German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday urged US President Donald Trump not to spring any surprises during expected talks on Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China next week. Merz referred to the Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage, Alaska, which European leaders had viewed as a potentially pivotal moment in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, and said some feared the China meeting could turn into a "second Anchorage moment."

"I therefore want to state our message to the United States very clearly: please, no surprises," Merz said, asking Washington to continue working as part of "Team Europe" and "Team Ukraine." He rejected Russia's calls to place Europe's security architecture at the centre of the talks, arguing that the framework already existed in the form of NATO.S1S2

Merz is also pushing for EU leaders to commit to supporting Ukraine as part of negotiations on the bloc's long-term budget. He said the proposal had received broad backing, although an agreement remained a long way off.S1

Following meetings between US and Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi this week, substantive peace negotiations are expected to begin in the coming weeks, with European participation for the first time. Merz said the central question for upcoming discussions is within what framework Ukraine's security can be guaranteed once peace is achieved, but he stressed that peace must first be reached.S1