German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the possibility of a Christmas ceasefire in Russia’s war against Ukraine depends entirely on a decision by the Kremlin. According to him, over the past two days in Berlin, European, American, and Ukrainian delegations jointly prepared a package of proposals that will be passed to the Russian side.

Merz made the statement on December 15 during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“It depends on the Russian side. Today and yesterday, we jointly — Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians — developed a whole range of proposals. The ball is now on Russia’s court,” the chancellor said, adding that he is not certain whether a ceasefire can be achieved by Christmas.

The remarks came amid nearly round-the-clock peace talks in Berlin involving Ukrainian and U.S. delegations. President Zelenskyy had earlier noted that the dialogue is difficult, particularly regarding territorial issues, but stressed that Ukraine insists on fair solutions without compromises made behind its back.

Merz emphasized that in recent weeks Russia’s war against Ukraine has “primarily been destroying the civilian population,” and expressed hope that Moscow would agree at least to a short-term halt in fighting.

“Perhaps the Russian government still has some remnants of humanity and will allow people to live in peace for at least a few days over Christmas. This could become the beginning of constructive and sober negotiations that would lead to a lasting peace,” he said.

The chancellor also underlined that any ceasefire must be accompanied by reliable security guarantees from both the United States and the European Union. According to him, the U.S. side is already prepared to assume legal commitments, and the West will not repeat the mistakes of the Minsk agreements.

“If we manage to achieve a ceasefire, Ukraine will be able to defend itself — both on its own and with the support of its partners,” Merz concluded.