Ukraine war: Merz for continued consistent support for Ukraine

Almost three years after the start of the Russian war of aggression, Union candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz is committed to continued, consistent support for Ukraine. “If our support for Ukraine weakens, then this war will last longer,” said the CDU leader upon arrival in Kiev. “If our support for Ukraine is consistent, then this war will end faster.”

Only if Ukraine is strong will Russian President Vladimir Putin “be willing to engage in negotiations,” said Merz. “We want this terrible war to end as quickly as possible and peace to be restored in Europe,” he added. “To do this, Ukraine must be put in a position in which it can exercise its right to self-defense.” The chairman of the CDU/CSU MPs in the Bundestag said he traveled to Ukraine to assure the government and the people that the CDU/CSU parliamentary group was firmly on their side.

A small swipe at the conditions in Germany

“On time to the minute, the Ukrainian railways,” said Merz to the television cameras upon his arrival. In addition, he was traveling with perfect WiFi. This should be understood as a small swipe at the punctuality of the railways in Germany and the network coverage there. Merz said he was very much looking forward to meeting President Volodymyr Selenskyj again. He simply wanted to “find out during the day what the situation is in Ukraine and what we can do to help this battered country continue to defend itself against Russian aggression.”

Concern about collapsing US support

Concerns about the extent to which US President Donald Trump will continue military aid to Ukraine after taking office on January 20th are likely to play a role in Merz’s talks in the Ukrainian capital. The Europeans would hardly be able to fill the gap.

During the cold season, Kremlin boss Putin attacks Ukraine’s electricity and heating infrastructure with drones and missiles in order to wear down the population in the war of aggression that has been going on for almost three years.

Does Merz Selenskyj have hope for Taurus delivery?

It is eagerly awaited to see whether Merz will give President Volodymyr Zelenskyj hope that, with him as chancellor, Germany will deliver the Taurus long-range cruise missiles that have long been demanded. The second central issue is likely to be the question of whether Merz, if the Union wins the election, would lift the range restrictions for weapons supplied by Germany so that Ukraine could fire deep into Russian territory.

Merz arrived in Kiev in a special train for the visit, which was initially kept secret for security reasons. The Union faction leader was accompanied by his deputy, Johann Wadephul (CDU), who is responsible for foreign policy and defense. Merz had already visited Ukraine on May 3, 2022, a good two months after the Russian attack began.

A week ago, Scholz reiterated his no to Taurus

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) visited Kiev exactly a week ago. It was suspected in the Union that he wanted to forestall his rival Merz in the election campaign for the early federal election in February.

During his first visit to Kiev in two and a half years, Scholz promised continued arms deliveries, but at the same time reiterated his rejection of a Taurus delivery. This has “to do with the range and the need to control the targeting.” The Chancellor fears that Germany could be drawn into the war if the cruise missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometers and can reach Moscow, are delivered.

Restriction of the range of weapons and NATO invitation

Scholz also does not want to grant general permission for the use of weapons supplied by Germany against Russian territory. The only exception is the region around the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv near the border, where the German Mars II rocket launchers with a range of 84 kilometers are allowed to be used. Scholz also rejects Zelensky’s formal invitation to join NATO.

At the start of the SPD election campaign, Scholz recently accused Merz of jeopardizing Germany’s security with his Ukraine course. Merz wanted to give the nuclear power Russia an ultimatum with a view to a possible Taurus delivery, said Scholz.

Merz: I didn’t give Putin an ultimatum

Merz had rejected the allegations and said that he had made a proposal to give Ukraine options for action so that it could influence the war “in the sense of a ceasefire and the silence of the weapons.” He offered Ukraine “to lift the range limit and enable Taurus deliveries, each with conditions that Ukraine determines – and not us and not me,” said Merz.