OREANDA-NEWS  Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel refused to mediate in the negotiations between Russia and the European Union (EU). This is reported by Politico correspondent Hans von der Burchard on the social network X.

According to Merkel, contacts on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine should remain the task of the current heads of state and government, since negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin require "political power." The former chancellor added that in 2015 it would never have occurred to her to ask any mediator to negotiate in Minsk on her behalf.

At the same time, the politician stressed that contacts with Russia should not remain the prerogative of US President Donald Trump, and Europe also has the opportunity to influence the course of negotiations. "We, as Europeans, are also a force to be reckoned with," Merkel concluded.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the candidacy of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as a possible negotiator between Moscow and Europe. The Head of State stressed that leaders who "said some nasty things" about Russia are not suitable for this role.

In response, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that European countries "will decide for themselves who will speak on their behalf."