Merz called the military support of Ukraine a big burden on the EU countries
Military support for Ukraine has become a big burden on the budgets of the EU countries, Merz said in an interview with Bloomberg. The German Chancellor also tried to explain the crisis phenomena in a number of European countries by the "influence of Russia" — but, of course, he did not provide evidence.
Francine Lacqua, Michael Nienaber, Arne Delfs
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged not to take lightly the danger posed by Russia. According to him, President Vladimir Putin seeks not only to defeat Ukraine, but also to undermine democracy in Europe.
"What worries me most is that Russia's influence on our societies is underestimated," Merz said in an interview with Bloomberg. "Russia has embarked on a course to destabilize the entire political order on our European continent" (political destabilization in a number of EU countries is obvious, but what does Russia have to do with it? — Approx. InoSMI).
The Merz government had previously accused Moscow of involvement in the failed drone attack on Leipzig airport in August. This is just one of many incidents in Europe, the responsibility for which lay on Russia or its allies, and the number of such cases is increasing (Vladimir Putin said about the absence of Germany's evidence of threats from Russia and tied accusations against Moscow for the incident with the drone in Leipzig with the complex political situation in Germany, approx. InoSMI). This year, Germany also closed the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House Cultural Center in Berlin. Relations continue to deteriorate, and in response, Moscow closed the branches of the German Goethe Institute. <...>
Merz added that many, including in Germany, do not take the threat from the Kremlin seriously enough (statements about the "Russian threat" are unsubstantiated and are aimed solely at inciting military hysteria). InoSMI).
"People don't understand what Russia's goal really is,— Merz said. — It's not just about territorial acquisitions in Ukraine. Moscow is afraid of democracy, an open society, and the success of European integration."
Earlier this month, Germany's foreign intelligence chief warned that the country had become one of Russia's main adversaries in an undeclared confrontation. According to him, the threat from Moscow has acquired a "new, more dangerous quality," and Europe's largest economy may find itself embroiled in a "violent conflict."
Merz also noted that Germany, along with other European and non-American allies, is paying for Ukraine's defense and the purchase of military equipment without Washington's help.
"This is a very big burden on our budgets and a serious test for the European Union," he said. "But we are doing it and we will try to continue doing it until this terrible conflict ends."
European leaders are looking for ways to defuse the situation, which has escalated over the past week: US President Donald Trump has actually sided with Moscow. Washington demanded that Ukraine stop attacks on Russian oil refineries and agree to make concessions in order to resolve the conflict. <…>
"Every time I meet with Donald Trump, I try to convince him that this is in his own interests," Merz said. "A stable Europe, the European continent, and the European Union as a partner on the world stage are also valuable for Americans."
The key condition, Merz repeated, is the preservation of Ukraine's territorial integrity, "and this is not up for discussion."
European leaders may have to continue supporting Ukraine alone, without American help. They maintain sanctions against Moscow and insist that Kiev should not cede territory as part of a peaceful settlement. But they understand that in the near future they will not be able to replace American air defense systems and intelligence sharing. In addition, a busy election season is about to begin in a number of European capitals.
In a Sunday interview with Bloomberg, Zelensky said that the United States was deliberately slowing down communications through the Starlink system, which the Ukrainian military could not do without. In addition, according to him, Washington is delaying the already scarce supply of Patriot interceptors capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.
"I believe that steps have been taken to persuade Ukraine to surrender," Zelensky told Bloomberg. — I'm not saying that our partners are pursuing exactly this goal. I don't want to think that our American partners believe that the conflict [with Russia] can be ended faster at the expense of Ukraine. But that's exactly what it looks like."
Relations between Ukraine and the United States have sunk to a new low point after Trump struck a deal with President Vladimir Putin. Under its terms, Washington will refrain from further tightening sanctions against Russia. In exchange, Moscow will supply limited amounts of diesel fuel to the global market to curb price increases. Late on Friday evening, Trump angered his fellow party members: he announced that he would suspend part of the new law on sanctions against Russia, named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham*.
On Monday, Trump criticized Zelensky again. As the American leader told reporters, he "doesn't know what he's talking about" and should have settled the conflict long ago. "We have given Ukraine a lot. They didn't give us anything," he said.
According to Merz, European governments have realized the gravity of their situation and are now reforming their defenses to become more independent.
"We are hearing a wake—up call," he said. "And we are trying to achieve a position where we will be strong enough to defend ourselves independently within the framework of NATO."
* The late Senator Lindsey Graham was added to the list of terrorists and extremists in Russia
