Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz laid out a joint set of conditions they say Moscow must meet before any peace negotiations can begin. The package, detailed in European and U.S. media reports on 13 August, starts with an unconditional cease-fire and rejects any changes to Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders, underscoring that “borders may not be changed through violence.” Kyiv is also seeking between $500 billion and $1 trillion in reparations from Russia, alongside a commitment by Western allies to maintain permanent economic sanctions until the compensation is paid and Russian forces withdraw. Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s aspiration for full NATO and European Union membership as part of the settlement framework. Merz said the aim is to “increase pressure” on the Kremlin and indicated after a call with former U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington broadly supports the European position. The Kremlin has not publicly responded, but the scale of the demands suggests a wide gap remains between the parties, making an early resumption of formal talks unlikely.