BERLIN/JOHANNESBURG – As the Russia-Ukraine war grinds into its fifth year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a stark rebuke to Moscow on Saturday, urging an immediate halt to what he termed an "illegal war of aggression" that has inflicted profound human suffering across Europe and disrupted global stability. Speaking at the opening plenary of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa – the first such gathering on African soil – Merz emphasized Russia's unique responsibility to cease hostilities, while calling on all G20 nations to prioritize collective action beyond mere economic self-interest.
The summit, hosted under the theme "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability" by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, convened leaders from the world's 20 largest economies amid heightened geopolitical tensions. Notably absent were U.S. President Donald Trump, who boycotted the event in a diplomatic spat with the host nation, and China's President Xi Jinping, represented instead by Premier Li Qiang. Russian President Vladimir Putin also stayed away, sending Deputy Presidential Administration Head Maxim Oreshkin due to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, underscoring the fractious atmosphere. Despite these gaps, the assembly adopted a declaration on climate, economic recovery, and global challenges early in proceedings, a move Ramaphosa hailed as evidence of "overwhelming consensus" even without full U.S. input.
Merz's address came against the backdrop of escalating diplomatic maneuvering over a controversial U.S.-drafted 28-point peace proposal for Ukraine, leaked to media outlets earlier in the week. The plan, reportedly shaped with Russian input but excluding Ukraine and European allies from initial drafting, envisions Kyiv ceding Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts to Moscow, capping its military at half its current size, renouncing NATO ambitions, and holding elections within 100 days – concessions that align closely with Russia's maximalist demands from early 2022 Istanbul talks. In exchange, Ukraine would receive unspecified NATO-style security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe, access to frozen Russian assets for reconstruction, and a monitored ceasefire enforced by a "Peace Council" chaired by Trump himself.
"We owe this to all people in the world – this is the greatest challenge for the G20," Merz declared, linking the conflict's economic ripple effects – from energy price spikes to food insecurity – to the summit's broader agenda on sustainability and equality. He warned that unchecked aggression threatens not just Ukraine but the post-World War II order, echoing concerns raised by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who reaffirmed the EU's unwavering support for Kyiv as the "victim of aggression" and highlighted the bite of sanctions on Russia's economy. The war, which erupted with Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, has now claimed over a million Russian casualties and displaced millions of Ukrainians, with Moscow controlling roughly 19% of Ukrainian territory as of November 2025.
Prior to the summit, on Friday, Berlin's government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius outlined Germany's red lines for any resolution: explicit recognition of Ukraine's sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders and "solid security guarantees" to deter future incursions. "We welcome that a new initiative has been started," Kornelius said during a press briefing, referencing the U.S. plan but stressing Berlin's solidarity with Washington while insisting on European involvement. This stance reflects growing unease among NATO allies that the proposal, which demands Ukraine forgo nuclear ambitions under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and split Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant output 50-50 with Russia, risks rewarding aggression and inviting broader instability.
Merz's Johannesburg remarks followed a high-stakes transatlantic phone call he convened late Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The leaders pledged "unchanged and full support" for a "lasting and just peace," agreeing that Ukraine's armed forces must retain defensive capabilities, the current front line should anchor negotiations, and any deal impacting Europe or NATO requires allied consensus. Zelenskyy, facing what he described as Ukraine's "most difficult moment," warned of an "impossible choice" between losing a key ally or compromising national dignity, vowing to engage "constructively" but rejecting capitulation.
The call's urgency stemmed from Trump's aggressive timeline: He has set a Thanksgiving deadline – November 27, 2025 – for Kyiv to accept the framework, threatening to withhold further U.S. aid otherwise. In a separate Friday evening conversation with Merz, Trump heard direct appeals for European inclusion, with the chancellor invoking the failed 1994 Budapest Memorandum – where Ukraine denuclearized in exchange for security assurances that Russia later violated – as a cautionary tale. "Wars cannot be ended by major powers over the heads of the countries affected," Merz stressed post-summit, adding that a Ukrainian collapse would destabilize the entire continent.
On the battlefield, the war's attrition persists. Russian forces, leveraging innovations like fiber-optic drones and glide bombs, have advanced incrementally near Pokrovsk and Hulyaipole, dropping a record 5,328 guided munitions in October alone – double the 2024 total. Ukrainian defenses, bolstered by Western-supplied interceptors, downed over 150 Russian drones in early November, but infrastructure strikes have left regions like Poltava and Kharkiv oblasts reeling from blackouts. Casualties mount: Russia has suffered nearly 1 million losses since 2022, with 100-150 troops per square kilometer of captured ground in 2025 alone. Moscow's recruitment, once fueled by bonuses, now falters, prompting legal tweaks to deploy reservists – potentially to Ukraine's front lines.
Critics, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, decry the U.S. plan as a "dangerous precedent" that could embolden aggressors beyond Russia. FDP lawmaker Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann labeled it an "unmoral offer," while Zelenskyy allies like Polish President Andrzej Duda insist Ukraine – not Putin – must dictate terms. Putin, meanwhile, welcomed the outline as a "foundation" but reiterated demands for "root causes" like regime change in Kyiv.
Merz's intervention at the G20 signals Berlin's pivot under his CDU-led coalition: more assertive on security, with pledges to arm and train Ukrainian forces as part of post-war guarantees. As Starmer, Macron, and Merz huddled on the summit's sidelines – dashing from the opening ceremony for urgent talks – the trilateral affirmed plans to "strengthen" the U.S. proposal at an upcoming EU-Africa summit in Luanda. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Macron also discussed Ukraine bilaterally, highlighting transatlantic coordination.
Yet, shadows loom. Protests in Johannesburg – from gender-based violence advocates to Afrikaner groups decrying infrastructure woes – underscore how global forums can amplify local grievances, with vandalism targeting G20 signage. For Ukraine, the stakes are existential: Zelenskyy faces domestic pressure amid war fatigue, with opposition figures leaking plan details to stoke debate.
As the Johannesburg talks continue through Sunday, Merz's call resonates: Ending the war demands not just ceasefires, but accountability. With U.S. leverage waning post-boycott and Russia's advances unchecked, the G20's "greatest challenge" tests whether solidarity can prevail over division. For now, Berlin's voice – firm, multilateral, sovereignty-first – offers a bulwark, reminding the world that aggression's cost is collective.
