German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said today that he was prepared for a prolonged war in Ukraine because wars usually end in military defeat or economic exhaustion, and he did not see such scenarios on the horizon for either Kiev or Moscow, Reuters reported.

Merz's comments come a day before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for a meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine to pave the way for peace talks. Trump has threatened"consequences" if the meeting does not take place.

Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron said the blame lay with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and called on the United States to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow.

"Inside, I'm preparing myself for the fact that this war will last a long time," Merz said in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF.

An attempt is being made through intensive diplomatic initiatives to end the war as quickly as possible, but this cannot be"at the cost of Ukraine's capitulation," because then Russia would simply turn its attention to another country, he said.

"And then our turn will come," Merz added."This is not an option," BTA writes.

In the interview, he refused to comment on the issue of the possible deployment of German troops in Ukraine as part of security guarantees in the event of a peace agreement.

Britain and France are leading the proposal for a"force for deterrence" to deter potential future Russian aggression, but the prospect of Germany joining them has sparked concern in a country scarred by its Nazi past.

The Kremlin said on Monday that European powers were hindering Trump's peace efforts and that Russia would continue its operation in Ukraine until Moscow saw real signs that Kiev was ready for peace, Reuters notes.