German chancellor candidate proposes providing Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles

Candidate of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz has expressed readiness to issue an ultimatum to Russia and arrange negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

The politician stated that, if he wins the election, he intends to demand an immediate halt to the fighting in Ukraine, giving Moscow just 24 hours to respond. Should Russia refuse, Merz proposed providing Kyiv with Taurus cruise missiles and lifting the ban on strikes deep within Russian territory by using long-range weapons, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Merz, 68, mentioned that he has spoken with individuals who are closely acquainted with Trump and emphasised that the US president-elect should be engaged with "a confident stance and clarity." Like Trump, Merz had a prolonged dispute with former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had been the leader of his party for many years.

Disillusioned with Merkel’s liberal policies, Merz stepped away from politics for a period, during which he served as chairman of the supervisory board for BlackRock Inc.'s German asset management division.

Merz also referred to Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a "lame duck" and urged him to speed up the process for holding an early federal election, following the collapse of the three-party coalition government last week.

By Naila Huseynova