«Putin’s imperialist plans are not limited to seizing Ukraine»: Merz

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is seeking to seize not only the entirety of Ukraine, but also to launch aggression against other European countries. Liberal democracies need to prepare for a long-term struggle against autocracies

"Everything points to the fact that Putin's imperialist plan will not end with the seizure of Ukraine, it is only the beginning. Every day we see Russia's increasingly aggressive hybrid attacks on our infrastructure, provocations in the North and Baltic Seas. We are seeing Russia and China trying to gain spheres of influence in Southeast Europe. So when we say that Ukraine is also fighting for our freedom in Europe, it is not just rhetoric. It is a fact from which we must draw and are already drawing concrete conclusions," said Merz.
According to him, Germany supports Ukraine in its struggle for peace in Europe, but this struggle "can last for a very long time."

He reminded that the current "turning point" (Zeitenwende) is not a single event, but a global process that changes the balance of power in the world.

According to him, a "new conflict of systems" is already underway between liberal democracies and an alliance of autocracies.

The politician noted that Europe should rethink its own interests, build new alliances in the world and not become dependent on individual partners.

"We are facing fundamental, historic challenges to create a new security architecture that, if all goes well, should be effective for decades," Merz