On December 9, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Mertz arrived in Kyiv. He met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and declared his support for the transfer of long-range weapons. The chancellor candidate also spoke with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Points of attention
- Friedrich Mertz, leader of the CDU and chancellor candidate, expressed his support for providing long-range weapons and air defense systems to Ukraine during his visit to Kyiv.
- The discussions on further military support for Ukraine in Germany indicate efforts to help end the war promptly and effectively.
- The meeting between Mertz and Prime Minister Shmyhal in Kyiv highlighted Germany's support for Ukraine's recovery and development, focusing on military and financial assistance.
- The emphasis on NATO membership and long-term security guarantees in the conversation between Mertz and Shmyhal underscores the importance of international alliances in ensuring peace and stability.
- Ukraine hopes for the full implementation of the G7 decision on aid from frozen Russian assets, while also expressing gratitude for Germany's leadership assistance and support.
Mertz is in favor of providing Ukraine with long-range weapons
He stated this during a press conference with Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
Our faction's position is clear: we want to give your Armed Forces the ability to reach military bases—not civilians and infrastructure, but so that you can reach the very targets from which the war against your country is being waged. I spoke about this in the Bundestag a few weeks ago. By limiting the range of weapons, we force you to fight with one hand behind your back.
According to him, discussions are currently ongoing in Germany regarding further military support to Ukraine in order to end the war as soon as possible.
Mertz's meeting with Prime Minister Shmyhal
Denys Shmyhal noted Mertz's leadership in supporting Ukraine, which he demonstrated even at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. According to the Prime Minister, he became the first German politician to visit our country. Shmyhal thanked for a clear, consistent and strong position regarding the provision of weapons and air defense equipment to Ukraine.
During the meeting, the leaders focused on issues of military and financial support, as well as the importance of a just end to the war.
They discussed the development of joint defense production.
We are interested in further expanding the list of projects of German companies in Ukraine, first of all in the context of joint production of weapons, ammunition and equipment. Air defense systems remain a critically important aspect of countering Russian missile and drone attacks.
Denis Shmyhal
Prime Minister of Ukraine
In the conversation with Mertz, they touched upon the points of the Victory Plan presented by Zelensky. Shmyhal emphasized that NATO membership is extremely important for Ukraine, primarily in terms of obtaining long-term security guarantees and achieving lasting peace, and thanked Friedrich Mertz for understanding this position.
Ukraine is counting on the timely and full implementation of the G7 decision regarding aid in the amount of 50 billion dollars, which is covered using frozen Russian assets. We also expect that all Russian assets will be confiscated for the benefit of Ukraine's recovery. He thanked Germany for leadership assistance in all directions, as well as Mr. Mertz personally for supporting Ukraine, our European and Euro-Atlantic ambitions.
