Chancellor Merz delivered a government statement in the Bundestag on Wednesday on the EU summit, which begins today in Brussels (Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, Handelsblatt, FAZ). He pledged continued support to Ukraine; it would not come at the expense of social and education spending, “not a single euro” was missing there (Der Spiegel, Süddeutsche Zeitung, FAZ). AfD co-leader Chrupalla objected (Der Spiegel, Die Welt). On the same day the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt, with the votes of the AfD and BSW, passed a motion for an immediate end to all Ukraine aid and the Russia sanctions (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Reuters, T-Online, Die Welt); the CDU, SPD, Greens and Left Party sharply rejected it (Süddeutsche Zeitung). Zelensky said it was painful when Trump took another side (Reuters). NATO and the EU disagreed with the charge of missing US support (Tagesschau).
Before the EU summit the federal government has to show that it also backs Ukraine aid at home. At the same time, AfD and BSW for the first time jointly push through a resolution against the aid in a state parliament, and in Kyiv doubt about the USA is growing. That puts Europe more strongly under obligation.
Merz promises that Ukraine aid will bring no cuts to social and education spending. Whether that holds will show in the budget deliberations. According to Der Spiegel, the resolution from Magdeburg changes little politically.
Aid for Ukraine also serves Europe’s own security, and according to the chancellor it does not reduce social spending (Der Spiegel, Die Zeit).
AfD and BSW demand an end to the aid and talks with Moscow; Chrupalla objected to Merz (Der Spiegel, Die Welt). Die Welt, by contrast, quotes the line that Moscow would be rewarded with the disarmament of its opponent.
We are watching what the EU summit decides on Ukraine financing and how the CDU in Magdeburg behaves on future AfD motions. The alleged US plan to release frozen Russian assets in part has so far come from the Financial Times; we regard it as unconfirmed.
Die Zeit · Der Spiegel · Handelsblatt · FAZ · Süddeutsche Zeitung · Tagesschau · Die Welt · T-Online · n-tv · Reuters · Financial Times (Oct. 13–14)
Merz promises Ukraine further aid ahead of the EU summit, the new state parliament in Magdeburg demands the opposite with AfD and BSW, and Kyiv feels abandoned by Washington
The chancellor assures the Bundestag that the support will not come at the expense of social and education spending. According to Der Spiegel, the vote in Saxony-Anhalt has largely no consequences but shows the fault line. In Kyiv, doubt about the USA is growing.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a government statement in the Bundestag on Wednesday on the EU summit, which begins today in Brussels (Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, Handelsblatt, FAZ). He reaffirmed that Germany would continue to support Ukraine. That would not come at the expense of social and education spending; “not a single euro” was missing there (Der Spiegel, Süddeutsche Zeitung, FAZ). Nobody should play domestic against foreign policy issues, he said; only with security can justice arise (Die Zeit). AfD co-leader Chrupalla objected (Der Spiegel, Die Welt).
Merz set a second focus on extremism. He called for “creative efforts” and relied on good governing as the answer (Tagesschau, Handelsblatt, Süddeutsche Zeitung). Die Zeit notes that he no longer used the word “reforms.” After days full of recriminations between the Union and the SPD, it looked in the debate as if both sides wanted to end the quarrel: the SPD defended the chancellor (FAZ). Die Welt reports that Merz said, in the direction of the Left Party and the AfD, that it was “incomprehensible” to him, and then quoted the Pope; what this referred to, the report at hand does not say.
On the same day the new state parliament met in Magdeburg for its first session, chaired by an AfD politician as president (Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, FAZ). With the votes of the AfD and BSW it passed a motion demanding an immediate end to all Ukraine aid and to the sanctions against Russia (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Reuters, T-Online, Die Welt). The CDU, SPD, Greens and Left Party sharply rejected it (Süddeutsche Zeitung). Der Spiegel calls the resolution largely without political consequences, but the session nonetheless revealing. According to Handelsblatt, Chrupalla floated former chancellor Schröder as a negotiator with Russia.
Kyiv, meanwhile, feels abandoned by Washington. Zelensky said it was painful when Trump took another side (Reuters, FAZ); he feels betrayed, and Ukraine is losing a strong partner in the USA (Der Spiegel, n-tv). Ukraine criticizes a lack of US support; NATO and the EU disagree (Tagesschau). The occasion is Russian missile attacks on Kyiv, about which, in Zelensky’s words, the partners had not warned (Reuters, FAZ); according to him, 600,000 people in Ukraine were without electricity (Reuters). Added to this is a dispute over Starlink: Ukraine accuses SpaceX of curtailing its military use (Reuters, Die Zeit, Der Spiegel). Musk stresses that Starlink serves only civilian and defensive use, and that the military Starshield is under the control of the US government (Die Zeit). In Poland and Bulgaria, Starlink installations burned (Der Spiegel, FAZ, T-Online).
Today the heads of state and government meet in Brussels; it is about a lot of money, dealing with China and Russia’s war of aggression (Der Spiegel). According to the Financial Times, picked up by Reuters, the USA is considering releasing part of the frozen Russian assets to restart peace talks; European representatives reject this. There is no independent confirmation.