The key facts
- Merz: Ukraine's unconditional capitulation would mean 'the capitulation of all of us'
- The Chancellor called Russian disinformation and hybrid attacks the main threat to Germany's security
- Zelensky earlier said the Trump administration's actions look like pushing Kyiv toward capitulation
Statement by the German Chancellor
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke on October 21 at the Berlin Global Dialogue economic forum in Berlin. According to DW, citing the Chancellor's words as quoted by Reuters, he said: 'We are not supporting Ukraine in order to prolong this war. But Ukraine's capitulation, especially an unconditional one, is unacceptable. Because it would mean the capitulation of all of us.'
Russia is the main threat, according to Merz
Merz named the disinformation spread by Russia and hybrid attacks as the greatest threat to Germany's security. He accused Moscow of attacking the political order that took shape after the end of the Cold War. 'Right now, what worries me most is not our economy, nor the US, nor China, but Russia's influence on our society,' the Chancellor said. According to him, this refers to inflammatory actions, hybrid attacks on communication systems, and attempts to destabilize the situation in Germany. Merz noted that such attacks occur daily, but the scale of the threat in the country is still being underestimated.
Statements by Zelensky and Trump
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Bloomberg on October 18 that steps are being taken aimed at pushing Ukraine toward capitulation, but he refrained from calling this a clear goal of the American partners. 'It is hard for me to believe that our American partners think the war can be ended faster at Ukraine's expense. But that is how it looks,' he said. Earlier, Zelensky compared the recent actions of US President Donald Trump's administration to pushing Kyiv toward capitulation. Trump, in turn, accused Zelensky of unwillingness to end the war and advised him to hand over the negotiations to someone else.
