defense
Merz promotes strength against Russia
As opposition leader, CDU leader Merz has criticized the government’s security policy a lot. With a view to the new election, he formulates some broad lines.
Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz has called for greater European strength in view of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. “We have to be able to defend ourselves so that we don’t have to defend ourselves,” said the CDU chairman at an event organized by the Federal Academy for Security Policy in Berlin. “Strength deters aggression, weakness invites aggression.” He wants strong armed forces, strong civil defense and crisis-proof infrastructure for Germany and Europe.
The aim is a lasting peace in security and freedom, emphasized Merz. “We don’t want peace in submission to an imperialist power.” For Ukraine, this means: “It has to win the war, and Russia has to lose the war.” For Ukraine, winning means “the restoration of territorial integrity with a democratically legitimate government at home and complete freedom to choose its political and, if necessary, military alliances.”
No natural law for victorious nuclear powers
With regard to Russia, Merz said that it is “not a law of nature that nuclear powers automatically win every war they start.” Russia should no longer see any possibility of continuing the war militarily. In all of this, Germany should not become a party to the war. “This question is not on the table. We don’t want it, and we won’t.” That’s precisely why Germany must support Ukraine “with all necessary diplomatic, financial, humanitarian and military means.”
The CDU leader criticized that going it alone had led to a deterioration in the strategic situation. In this context, he also mentioned a “phone call between the German Chancellor and Russian President Vladimir Putin that was obviously not coordinated with his European partners” and to which he responded “with large-scale attacks on the civilian infrastructure throughout Ukraine.”
Merz again called for a “contact group” made up of Germany, France, Poland and Great Britain to determine a European strategy to support Ukraine – also because no one knows what will happen after the new US President Donald Trump takes office. He wanted to inform his European partners about his upcoming trip to Ukraine.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
