Merz pressuring Trump for more Patriot missiles for Kiev
Trump earlier reflected on the cost of Patriot systems – valued at around $1 billion per battery – saying that Kiev's request for another unit remains under review. 'It's a shame that we have to spend so much money' on supporting Ukraine, he said, calling the missile system 'very rare… and very expensive.'He suggested the US 'simply cannot produce [Patriot] missiles in the necessary quantities.'In response to Merz's statements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov remarked on Friday that the German Chancellor has made a clear choice for a military path, saying Merz believes diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict have reached their limit.'If Mr. Merz believes that the options for peace are depleted, he has likely chosen to fully commit himself to the militarization of Germany at the expense of his own people,' Lavrov said. He added that Merz has repeatedly articulated his primary objective: to establish Germany as Europe's foremost military power.
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