Christian Democrat chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz has taken a surprise trip to Kyiv. He is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s center-right Christian Democrats (CDU), arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early on Monday.
The conservative candidate for chancellor in the country’s upcoming snap elections was visiting the country for the second time since the Russian invasion began in 2022.
What did Merz say in Ukraine?
Merz said he wanted to use the visit to inform himself “of the present condition of the defense of this country” and assure it of Germany’s continued backing.
Arriving by train from Poland, he said he wanted to “help this battered country to continue to defend itself against Russian aggression.”
The conservative leader said in a post on X, “the war in Ukraine must end as soon as possible. Only if Ukraine can defend itself will Putin enter into negotiations.”
Merz is also scheduled to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Future uncertain for Ukraine
Merz’s visit to show support comes at a time when the future of the war is increasingly uncertain. It is not yet known if US President-elect Donald Trump will continue to provide Ukraine with aid, and Ukrainian forces have been losing territory along the Russian border.
Russia has also stepped up drone strikes on energy infrastructure as winter temperatures start to drop across Ukraine.
Germany is the second-largest supplier of military equipment to Ukraine after the United States. So far, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has refused to send Kyiv the longer-range Taurus missiles it has repeatedly asked for. Merz has said that if he is elected in February, he will reverse that decision.
