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Ukraine must win, regain full territory: Germany's Merz

The conservative leader, favourite to become next chancellor, says "winning means restoring territorial integrity"

Published: Thu 23 Jan 2025, 8:23 PM

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The leader of Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a keynote speech on Germany's foreign and European policy priorities at the 'Koerber Global Leaders Dialogue', on January 23, 2025, in Berlin. — AFP

The leader of Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a keynote speech on Germany's foreign and European policy priorities at the "Koerber Global Leaders Dialogue", on January 23, 2025, in Berlin. — AFP

Ukraine must win the war against Russia, regain lost territory and be free to join military alliances, Friedrich Merz, favourite to become Germany's next chancellor, said on Thursday.

Merz said he wants peace in Ukraine but not "at the price of submission to an imperialist power" and stressed that "Ukraine must win the war".

"To me, winning means restoring territorial integrity," said Merz, whose conservative CDU-CSU is leading in polls ahead of Germany's February 23 election.

"Winning also means that Ukraine must have complete freedom to choose its political and, if necessary, military alliances."

Moscow has demanded Kyiv abandon its ambitions to join Nato and cede Ukrainian territory that Russia has occupied.

While Germany has been Ukraine's second-biggest source of aid since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, that support is now the subject of heated debate.

The Moscow-friendly far-right Alternative for Germany, in second place in the polls, and the hard-left BSW Sahra Wagenknecht and Linke parties have heavily criticised aid to Kyiv.

Tensions have also flared within Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government, with the Greens pushing for more help for Ukraine while Scholz himself remains more cautious.

Merz said that on many questions "open disagreement" within Scholz's government had created confusion at home and abroad and promised this would not happen under his leadership.

The debate over military aid to Ukraine comes as Donald Trump has returned to the White House, having promised to bring peace to Ukraine immediately, though without explaining how.

On the campaign trail, Trump strongly criticised military aid to Ukraine under president Joe Biden and has raised doubts over continued US commitment to Nato.

However on Wednesday, two days after his inauguration, Trump threatened fresh sanctions on Moscow if it did not strike a deal to end the war.

Merz said that "Russia must not see any opportunity to continue this war in a militarily successful way".

He added that "my impression from the last few days is that the new American administration also sees it this way, at least in part".



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