Ukraine should be allowed to strike targets in Russia - subject to transatlantic coordination - Merz
The leader of the CDU/CSU and German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz stressed the importance of coordination between Europe and the United States in allowing Ukraine to strike military targets in Russia.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to an interview with Welt journalist Paul Ronzheimer.
During his visit to Kyiv, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union expressed support for the idea of allowing the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike at military targets in Russia. However, according to the politician, such actions should be agreed between European countries and the United States.
"There has to be a joint European-American transatlantic response," Merz said.
He emphasised that Germany remains the only alliance that places restrictions on long-range weapons and called for a review of this position.
Regarding the transfer of German Taurus missiles, which are capable of long-range strikes, Merz noted that the decision requires careful analysis. "We need to see if this system fits into the overall concept, given that it will take at least four months for the Ukrainian military to train," he explained.
The politician also stressed that Russia is responding to diplomatic efforts by further escalating the war, and suggested that ongoing peace discussions should take into account Ukraine's interests and not be dictated by the Kremlin.
Merz's visit to Ukraine
On 9 December 2024, Friedrich Merz, a candidate for chancellor from the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, arrived in Kyiv on an official visit.
Merz said that if elected, he would be ready to have a telephone conversation with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin about resolving the war in Ukraine under certain conditions.
