Trump discussed ending the war in Ukraine with Merz, government spokesman Stefan Cornelius said, as quoted by Handelsblatt. After the defeat in the mid-term elections, he said, there was a "new sense of urgency" in the White House and the negotiating mandate strengthened "significantly". "The parties reached an agreement that the war against Ukraine should be stopped as soon as possible. In addition, the peace agreement must be ratified by all NATO partners," the spokesman said.