Merz Warned Europe About Putin's True Goals — Bloomberg

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Europeans not to underestimate Russia’s influence on societies across the continent. According to him, Vladimir Putin’s ambitions extend far beyond the annexation of Ukrainian territories.

 

According to the chancellor, the Kremlin is attempting to weaken democratic institutions, open societies, and European integration. Therefore, the German leader emphasized, the Russian threat affects the entire political system of Europe.

Merz has previously spoken about Russian hybrid attacks. In October 2025, he accused Russia of waging a hybrid war against European countries and announced that Berlin was developing an action plan to counter such threats.

Germany, together with its European partners and countries outside Europe, has taken on the financing of military support for Ukraine, Merz said. He acknowledged that this places a significant burden on budgets but stressed that aid must continue until the war ends.

“This is indeed a major burden on our budgets; it is truly an important matter for the European Union,” Merz said.

At the same time, the chancellor is trying to convince U.S. President Donald Trump that a stable Europe is also important for the United States itself. In his view, a strong European partner is in Washington’s interest.

The statement came amid strained relations between Kyiv and Washington. The disputes concern, in particular, Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense.

European governments are looking for ways to help Ukraine without the same level of U.S. financial involvement as before. However, Europe is not yet able to fully replace U.S. capabilities in air defense and intelligence sharing.

Source: Bloomberg

As a reminder, Germany is tightening the rules for language exams for migrants, including Ukrainians.

In Germany, the number of employed Ukrainians has reached about 400,000. Nearly 350,000 of them officially pay contributions to the social insurance system.

A court case in Germany against Ukrainian activist Viktoria Fischer, who was accused of personal insults due to an English-language inscription on her clothing, has concluded. The court ruled in her favor, but her legal costs amounted to nearly 8,000 euros.