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Wednesday, April 8, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Germany’s Merz calls for ‘durable end to the war’
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a statement at Siemens Energy plant in Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang Province on February 26, 2026. (Jade Gao / AFP)
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomes the ceasefire in the Middle East war and urges a definitive end to the conflict.
The goal now is “to negotiate a durable end to the war in the next days,” he says in a statement. “This can only be achieved by diplomacy.”
He says that Germany will contribute “to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
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