Merz Arrives in Kyiv to Pledge Arms and Energy Aid as Bridge Is Hit
German chancellor expected to unveil drone co-production and €1bn military package amid Russian strikes
1 min read
File photo: Friedrich Merz at the CDU election night in Berlin, Feb. 23, 2025. Photo: Sandro Halank, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
POLITICO Europe said the one-day visit is Merz’s first bilateral trip to Kyiv and his second as chancellor after a May 2025 visit with French, British and Polish leaders. Talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were expected to cover air defense, long-range weapons, peace initiatives and a German-Ukrainian economic forum.
Domestic pressure and EU accession friction
Germany remains Ukraine’s largest European military and financial backer, but September state elections boosted the far-right AfD and the Left Party, both critical of Ukraine spending, DW reported. Merz vowed Thursday that if Germany wavers, Europe and Ukraine waver, and singled out “the AfD and their Russian backers.”
POLITICO noted tension over EU membership: Merz has floated an “associated membership” without voting rights; Zelenskyy has rejected that and demanded full membership. Berlin has also backed targeting-data help for Ukrainian long-range strikes after a drone incident blamed on Russia near Leipzig, while Merz has still declined to send Germany’s Taurus cruise missiles, POLITICO reported.
