A new sense of urgency": Trump and Merez discussed Ukraine -. N-tv. Chancellor Friedrich Merz had a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump. Both sides agreed that the war against Ukraine must end as soon as possible, Chancellor's spokesman Stefan Cornelius said. It also stated that any peace agreement must be reached with the consent of all NATO partners. Following the US election, there was a "new sense of urgency" and the mandate for negotiations became "significantly" more urgent, the spokesman added.