German election winner and likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson met in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss future partnership, particularly support for Ukraine.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the CDU/CSU bloc, which won the parliamentary elections in Germany, has said on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Ukraine should be part of peace negotiations to achieve a just peace.

Friedrich Merz, the candidate for German chancellor from the opposition CDU/CSU bloc, has said he was shocked by the statements made by US President Donald Trump regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine.