German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to hold their first face-to-face talks within the next two weeks. Merz told reporters in Washington that the arrangement was reached during a telephone conversation earlier in the day between US President Donald Trump and Putin, following a White House meeting that included Zelensky and several European leaders. The location of the bilateral encounter has not yet been decided, and Merz added that a separate, subsequent meeting involving Trump, Putin and Zelensky is being planned. The German leader cautioned that negotiations will become "more complex" and reiterated his view that a cease-fire should precede any substantive discussions. Zelensky said Ukraine is ready for talks "at the level of leaders" in any format, while Trump has publicly argued that a comprehensive peace agreement would be preferable to a temporary cease-fire.