German opposition leader Merz: strength, not weakness, to end war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine must end with no hope for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to achieve his goals or conquer Ukraine, stated Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s conservative opposition and chancellor candidate, at the Davos Economic Forum, as reported by Ukrinform.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) opened in Davos, Switzerland, on 20 January. This year, the event focuses on “Cooperation in the Age of Intelligence” discussions. The forum is expected to host nearly 3,000 participants from over 130 countries, including 60 heads of state and government.

Merz emphasized that the war must end, but not from a position of weakness. It could only end from a position of strength, with no hope for Putin to win or capture Ukraine, he said.

During the forum, Merz is also set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The German politician expressed his intention to assure Zelenskyy of his support, adding that Ukraine is not just fighting Russia’s war but defending freedom, societal values, and a way of life shared across Europe.

Merz further stated that Germany must do everything possible to ensure that one day, Putin surrenders when he realizes he has no chance of winning this war or conquering Ukraine.

Merz also noted his regret over speaking about the war for three years, stressing that had Germany and its partners provided stronger support to Ukraine earlier, the war could have ended by now. However, from today’s perspective, the war’s conclusion remains “extremely uncertain” as the situation has reached a “very critical phase” amid uncertainty about future aid from the US government.

On 9 December, he visited Kyiv to ensure that the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction firmly supported Ukraine and expressed a desire for the “horrible war” to end as quickly as possible and for peace to be restored in Europe.

Friedrich Merz already visited Ukraine in May 2022. He repeatedly stated the need to strengthen German military support, including the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

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