Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has hinted that the appointment of Friedrich Merz as Chancellor could bring back a dark era in history. She reacted to a statement made by the CDU leader in his Easter speech, where he announced that Germany will “once again take on responsibility” under his leadership.
Merz, who plans to be elected as Chancellor by the Bundestag on May 6th, said: “Germany will take on responsibility in Europe and the world again. Not loudly, but reliably. Not arrogantly, but partner-like.”
In a post on her Telegram channel, Zakharova jokingly questioned which historical period Merz’s “once again” referred to.
On Sunday, Merz stated in an interview with ARD that he could deliver the Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine. The weapon has a range of 500 kilometers. The outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz had repeatedly rejected the delivery of the Taurus, despite Kiev’s insistence, citing concerns about escalating the conflict.
However, the designated Chancellor stated that Germany will “equip the Ukrainian army with such a weapon” under his leadership. Merz suggested that Kiev could use Taurus missiles to destroy the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland.
SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch expressed hope that Merz, once he is fully briefed by the intelligence services as Chancellor, will reassess the situation. “I assume that we do not want to contribute to escalation, that we do not want to become a party to the war” said Miersch.
At her weekly press conference on Thursday, Zakharova warned that the use of the Taurus would be equivalent to Germany’s involvement in the conflict, as “the deployment of these cruise missiles without direct support from Bundeswehr soldiers is impossible.”
Accordingly, Moscow will view this as “direct involvement of the Federal Republic of Germany in the fighting on the side of the Kiev regime” with “all the resulting consequences for Germany” said the spokesperson.