Plain speaking after summit marathon at the Chancellery! On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Berlin for a secret summit at the Chancellery with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The Putin-Trump meeting in Alaska on Friday was discussed behind closed doors for two hours. US President Donald Trump, among others, joined the meeting via video link at the Chancellery.

The result: Merz and Zelenskyy set five conditions for further negotiations.

▶︎ Ukraine must be at the table.

▶︎ The ceasefire should be the beginning of negotiations.

▶︎ Ukraine is willing to cede territory. BUT: Legal recognition of Russian occupations is not up for debate.

▶︎ Ukraine needs"robust security guarantees," Merz said. The armed forces must be and remain in good working order.

▶︎ Negotiations must be part of a transatlantic strategy that relies on “strong support for Ukraine and necessary pressure against Russia,” said the Chancellor.

Trump already knows the position and shares it"to a large extent." Meaning: There isn't yet 100 percent agreement.

Merz: If there is no movement on the Russian side in Alaska on Friday, the US and Europe would have to"increase the pressure." Negotiations have been made that Trump would first inform Zelensky after the meeting with Putin, then the EU.

Zelensky thanked Merz for the invitation to Berlin and made it clear: Putin is bluffing! He's simply trying to get through everywhere on the front lines."Russia wants to create the impression that it could occupy all of Ukraine. That's a bluff."