Before a significant meeting of European leaders on Thursday, Merz is portraying the upcoming decision on whether to use frozen Russian central bank assets in the EU as a test of Europe’s ability to assert itself.
“We must not fool ourselves. If we fail in this, the European Union’s ability to act will be severely restricted for years,” Merz stated on Monday. “And we will demonstrate to the world that, at such a pivotal moment in our history, we are unable to unite and act to protect our own political order on this European continent.”
Friedrich Merz’s predecessors, Olaf Scholz and Angela Merkel, were hesitant to place the country in such a prominent leadership role internationally or within the EU. | Maja Hitij/Getty Images
Reflecting his administration’s newfound assertiveness, Merz has positioned Berlin as a hub of diplomacy for a potential peace agreement. On Sunday and Monday, he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. On Monday evening, several of Europe’s most influential leaders gathered for dinner in Berlin to discuss the framework of a possible deal.
“Berlin is now central to very important diplomatic dialogues and decisions,” Zelenskyy remarked on Monday. “These discussions are always complex, never easy, but they were very productive.”
Merz, alongside the Ukrainian leader, also emphasized Germany’s role in recent negotiations. “We are witnessing significant diplomatic momentum — possibly the greatest since the war began,” he said. “We now have a real opportunity for a genuine peace process for Ukraine. This beginning is still fragile, but the possibility is there.”
Merz oversteps
However, Merz’s attempts to position Germany as a leading EU force on Ukraine and other issues, including defense and trade, also carry considerable risk.
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