Russia says Merz's ‘militarization' of Germany is a cause for concern
Merz, a conservative who took office in May, has taken a more robust stance in support of Ukraine than his Social Democrat predecessor Olaf Scholz, while promising to increase pressure on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.
He visited Kyiv within days of becoming chancellor, and endorsed Ukraine's right to launch long-range missile strikes into Russian territory.
Under Merz, Germany plans to boost defense spending rapidly to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2029, having hit the previous NATO target of 2 percent only in 2024.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told her weekly news briefing that Germany had pursued an openly hostile policy towards Russia in recent years, and that Merz was stepping up anti-Russian rhetoric 'literally every day'.
'This rhetoric is becoming more and more aggressively militant. And we believe that the course he has chosen to escalate relations with Russia in parallel with the forced militarization of Germany is a cause for great concern, first of all for the citizens of (Germany) themselves,' Zakharova said.
Berlin did not immediately comment on Zakharova's remarks.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
17 minutes ago
- Arab News
White House says Trump open to meeting Putin and Zelensky
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is open to meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, the White House said Wednesday. The meeting could take place as early as next week, The New York Times newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources. The possibility was discussed in a call between Trump and Zelensky that, according to a senior Ukrainian source, also included NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the leaders of Britain, Germany and Finland. It came after Washington's envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow for talks with Putin earlier in the day. 'The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky,' said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The New York Times reported that Trump intended to meet first with Putin, and then to follow that up with a three-way meeting involving the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. NATO and Ukrainian officials did not confirm the report when contacted by AFP. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump hailed the meeting between his envoy and Putin as 'highly productive,' but US officials said sanctions would still be imposed on Moscow's trading partners. Trump, who had boasted he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has given Russia until Friday to make progress toward peace or face new penalties.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Israel's Gaza strategy stirs internal division
In this episode of W News Extra, presented by Leigh-Ann Gerrans, we'll discuss US envoy Steve Witkoff's latest meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as US President Donald Trump punishes India for their purchase of Russian oil. We also cover the war in Gaza, where Israel's defense minister says the military will carry out any government decisions on Gaza, amid reports of internal disagreements over a full occupation of the Palestinian territory.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Saudi defense minister discusses efforts to promote regional security with US counterpart
RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman discussed efforts to promote regional and international security and stability with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday. The two officials also reviewed the Saudi-US partnership and explored ways to further strengthen defense cooperation during a phone call, Prince Khalid said in a post on X.
