Merz criticizes possibility of diplomacy with Russia without ceasefire

The leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, presented a decidedly critical stance on the possibility of conducting diplomacy with Russia during an election rally on Friday. In the politician's assessment, any talks with Moscow are currently "senseless" and "without prospects" until Russia declares a ceasefire in the war with Ukraine. Merz set a clear condition for any future negotiations, emphasizing that their basis must be a real, not merely declarative, halt to hostilities by the aggressor. Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Germany has played a key role as the largest economy in the European Union and a main contributor of support for Kyiv. After initial restraint, the government of Olaf Scholz gradually increased arms deliveries, which drew criticism both from Eastern European countries for being too slow and from parts of the German public fearing escalation. „Diplomatie mit Moskau ohne Waffenruhe sinnlos” (Diplomacy with Moscow without a ceasefire is pointless) — Friedrich Merz Merz's remarks, noted by several major German media outlets, fit into a sharp internal debate about the shape of German foreign and security policy. The opposition leader criticized the ruling coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) for a lack of consistency and delays in delivering heavy military equipment to Ukraine. According to Merz, the hesitations and internal disputes within the so-called traffic light coalition weaken Germany's credibility on the international stage and do not serve effective aid to Ukraine. The speech took place at a rally as part of the campaign ahead of the upcoming state parliament elections in Thuringia, which also gives it a clear domestic political context. Merz used the security theme to strengthen the CDU's profile as a decisive and predictable party in contrast to what he sees as an unstable government.

Context analysis shows that Merz's position is not isolated among European conservatives but represents a sharper version of the view that negotiations with Vladimir Putin's regime are impossible without a fundamental change in the situation on the front. Thus, he rejects the ideas of so-called diplomacy from a position of strength, which would allow for parallel talks and arms deliveries. In his view, without the preliminary condition of a ceasefire, Moscow would use any diplomatic process merely for delay tactics and consolidation of territorial gains. Merz's speech was met with an immediate reaction from politicians of the ruling coalition, who accused him of politicizing national security issues and lacking a realistic alternative to the current course.