Berlin and Kyiv Welcome Truce Efforts as Concerns Over Ongoing Russian Strikes Persist

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed support on Thursday for renewed “efforts in favor of a truce,” according to a statement from Berlin. Their remarks followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Vladimir Putin had agreed to a one‑week pause in strikes targeting Ukraine’s power grid.

In Berlin, officials welcomed any step that could ease pressure on Ukraine’s battered energy infrastructure. Yet the German government also underscored that the situation on the ground remains far from calm.

Merz emphasized that Russia’s “systematic and brutal destruction” of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure continues, despite talk of a temporary halt. His spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, said the chancellor condemned these attacks “in the strongest terms,” stressing that Ukraine’s civilian population remains under severe threat.

The mixed signal tentative diplomatic movement paired with ongoing violenc highlight the fragile nature of any potential truce as winter strains Ukraine’s energy network and humanitarian needs intensify.