Germany's new leadership may keep Ukraine military aid under wraps - media

Spiegel reports this, citing DPA information from sources within government circles.

According to unnamed sources, the German government will significantly reduce the volume of information about weapons supplies in the future. 

The goal of this decision is to deprive Russia of an advantage on the front in the war against Ukraine. The media reports that this is part of a wartime strategy aimed at reducing public debates about arms supplies.

“This way, the black-and-red government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is returning to the practice that already existed immediately after the start of a full-scale war under the traffic light government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz,” the report says.

New Chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned these plans in an interview with Bild during his visit to Kyiv on May 10. According to him, German citizens have the right to know what the government is doing, but some matters discussed in the military sphere should remain strategically ambiguous.

Merz stated that previously, Russian leader Vladimir Putin had full access to information about Germany's strategy through the media and debates in the Bundestag, so now they need to ensure that he no longer feels confident.

"I think we need to put an end to this now... We will do it differently," Merz emphasized.

He added that the government will inform the relevant parliamentary bodies about the necessary steps, and that there is no need to continue debates in its halls that have been ongoing for the past three and a half years.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke about the same decision.

"That’s why we decided not to provide clear information in certain areas. We will not talk about categories and models of weapons at every press conference. It’s quite possible that the Russian army will also hear the answers to your questions," said the French leader.

• Meanwhile, the new German Chancellor Merz stated that the issue of sending German military personnel to Ukraine for peacekeeping "is not even being considered at the moment."