Merz makes ending war in Ukraine key priority for his government

He made this statement during his speech at the Körber Foundation in Berlin, as reported by Ukrinform. 

According to him, Ukraine's victory in the war means the preservation of its sovereignty and the restoration of territorial integrity. 

"The peace we seek is peace in security and freedom. We do not want peace at the cost of submission and imperialist rule. We do not want peace at the cost of our freedom… For Ukraine, in my opinion, the most important answer is that it must win the war. For me, victory means the restoration of territorial integrity with a government that is democratic and legitimate in exercising its state sovereignty. Victory also means that Ukraine should have complete freedom to choose its political and, if necessary, military alliances," Merz said.

He linked the war to Ukraine’s voluntary renouncement of nuclear weapons, which made the country defenseless against the aggressor. According to the politician, Russia should have no chance of successfully continuing this war. Merz believes that the new American administration shares this view.

"And this implies that Ukraine is strong enough to effectively defend itself against this Russian aggression," said the candidate for Chancellor of Germany.

He mentioned that Germany must support Ukraine in all possible ways: diplomatically, financially, militarily, and in humanitarian projects. The politician is convinced that the security of Ukraine is ensured by the continuous support of its partners, including Germany.

At the same time, he mentioned that "Germany should not become a party to the war."

• German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized the government for its indecision regarding aid to Ukraine. She also condemned previous governments for their cooperation with the Kremlin.