“We Are Not a Pawn”

Merz cast Europe as an active strategic player rather than a subordinate actor in global power competition.

“We must not stand by and watch as the world is reordered,” he said.

“We are not a pawn of great powers.”

He framed this argument in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, warning that Europe faces daily pressure not only on the battlefield but across multiple domains.

“Russia is already attacking us every day,” Merz said, citing drone overflights, assassinations, sabotage, espionage, cyberattacks, and disinformation as part of a sustained campaign.

Frozen Assets And Ukraine’s Defense

A central pillar of Merz’s argument was the use of frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine.

He said the European Union should determine whether it can make those assets usable for defense purposes, pointing to sums of up to €90 billion.

According to Merz, that amount could finance the Ukrainian Armed Forces for “at least two more years.”

He rejected claims that such funding would prolong the war, arguing instead that it would “make clear to Russia that continuing this war is futile.”

He also stressed that Germany would not repeat what he described as the mistakes of 2014, when Ukraine was left without firm security guarantees.

Israel As A Strategic Precedent

Merz explicitly linked Germany’s stance on Ukraine to its long-standing support for Israel.

“If we and others had not supported the State of Israel militarily in recent decades,” he said, “then this State of Israel would no longer exist today.”

Force Structure And Political Limits

On the question of whether Germany would send troops to Ukraine as part of future security guarantees, Merz declined to give a definitive answer.

“There are questions in this world that are not as simple as you may imagine,” he said, signaling deliberate ambiguity.

At home, he linked Germany’s strategic ambitions to manpower constraints.

Merz warned that if voluntary recruitment fails to deliver the personnel needed to expand the Bundeswehr, Berlin may have to reconsider mandatory service.

While emphasizing a voluntary model, he said the option of conscription must remain on the table.