On 14 May, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the German parliament – Bundestag – for the first time. Euronews reports that Merz emphasized the need for full Western unity, thanked US President Donald Trump for backing a 30-day ceasefire, and rejected any “dictated peace” or “subjugation” of Ukraine by Russia.
This comes as US President Donald Trump pushes for peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. Ukrainian and Russian delegations are expected to meet today in Istanbul. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had demanded a personal meeting with Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin in Türkiye. However, despite initiating the potential talks, Putin declined to attend in person and instead sent low-level officials.
Merz, who leads the Christian Democratic Union, came to power a week earlier following the February federal elections. His new coalition government includes both his center-right CDU and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), ending six months of parliamentary deadlock.
In his speech, highlighting the strategic role of transatlantic coordination, Merz underscored that Germany’s assistance for Ukraine must be seen as a joint European-American endeavor. He revealed that he had recently thanked Trump in two separate phone calls for supporting an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.
“We hope and we all are working hard on this clear position not just being held everywhere in Europe but also by our American partners,” Merz said. He added that it was vital for “the political West not to let itself be divided.”
Merz also warned against repeating past indecision in European policy.
“The times in which Germany simply abstained on significant questions of European policy should be over,” he said, referring indirectly to former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s fragmented coalition that collapsed in November.
Since taking office, Merz has visited Kyiv alongside French, Polish, and British leaders. He made clear that the new administration would reject any peace terms imposed by Moscow and instead pursue a common Western strategy centered on Kyiv’s sovereignty.
