One of the great favorites of the German Chancellery considers that the ideal scenario would be a consensual agreement with Russia
BERLIN, Dec. 28 (DPA/EP) –
The candidate of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance for the German Chancellery and one of the great favorites for the position, Friedrich Merz, believes that Germany should only participate in a hypothetical peace force in Ukraine if there is a clear international mandate, ideally agreed upon with Russia.
“If there is going to be a peace agreement and if Ukraine needs security guarantees, then this can only be discussed if there is an adequate mandate under international law. At the moment, I don’t see it,” said the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
However, Merz added that his wish “would be for such a mandate to be given in consensus with Russia and not in conflict with it.”
To the question of what security guarantees Ukraine could request to ensure a ceasefire with Russia, beyond membership in NATO, Merz responded that “today nothing can be imagined that goes in that direction, because we are very far from that ceasefire.” “All this is an issue that will have to be clarified in the coming weeks, perhaps months,” added the conservative leader before estimating that peace can never be “dictated” and it is necessary that it also reach to European countries, when referring for example to the massive attacks suffered by German data infrastructures.
“It must reach our freedom of expression, our social networks: that is also part of that form of hybrid war that we see from Russia. That must also end,” he indicated.
Regarding the Ukrainian demand for the supply of long-range German Taurus missiles, supported by the CDU/CSU and flatly rejected by Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Merz commented that there are at least three countries that already supply comparable weapons systems to Ukraine. : United States, France and the United Kingdom.
“The three have not become part of the war as a result of the supply,” he stressed before stating that the Taurus missiles are “a brick to restore peace in Ukraine.”
Merz also referred to the change in the situation that will occur internationally after the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States, which will take place on January 20, which he described as a moment of uncertainty.
“It could be that (Trump) says: ‘I’m not doing anything anymore, you guys take care of it.’ But it could also be that he says: ‘Now I’m going to arm Ukraine to such an extent that the Russians abandon the war,'” he estimated. In any case, Merz has asked that Germany, together with the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom as an important NATO partner, “jointly develop a strategy on how to deal with possible US scenarios after January 20.” .