German chancellor candidate Merz supports transfer of long-range weapons to Ukraine

He said this during a press conference with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Photo: Getty Images

"The position of our faction is clear: we want to give your armed forces the opportunity to reach military bases - not civilians and infrastructure, but so that you can achieve the very goals for which the war against your country is being waged. I spoke about this a few weeks ago in the Bundestag. By limiting the range of weapons, we are forcing you to fight with one hand behind your back," Merz said.

According to him, Germany is currently discussing further military support for Ukraine to end the war as soon as possible. 

His visit was reported by Deutsche Welle.

According to the report, Merz’s visit aims to assess Ukraine’s current defense capabilities amid the ongoing war with Russia.

Merz stated that meeting with President Zelenskyy is a priority, stressing the significance of the conversation for advancing support for Ukraine.

"Today, I simply want to understand the situation in Ukraine and what we can do to help this country continue defending itself against Russian aggression," he said.

Merz emphasized that the CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag "stands firmly" with Ukraine.

"We want this terrible war to end as soon as possible and for peace to return to Europe," he added.

• Friedrich Merz, widely regarded as a frontrunner in the German chancellor race, has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. He was among the first German politicians to visit Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion, traveling to Kyiv in May 2022.
• Merz has repeatedly called on Olaf Scholz to provide long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine and boost support for its defense forces with additional weapons. He recently stated that, if elected chancellor, he would deliver an ultimatum to Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding the war. If Putin refused, Merz vowed to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles.