CDU leader Friedrich Merz believes that with the order for partial mobilization by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin the mood in Russia could change. The step is an escalation to which the West must react “with determination and clarity”, said Merz on Wednesday evening in the program “RTL Direkt”. “I think it could be the tipping point for Putin because he probably won’t be able to maintain approval in the country.”
The Union faction will present a motion in the Bundestag on Thursday to support Ukraine with heavy weapons and to immediately issue a license for the export of industrial stocks of main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. He expects “that the FDP and the Greens do what they say in public in the Bundestag: namely agree,” said Merz.
Representatives of the two traffic light coalition partners had spoken out in favor of the direct delivery of German battle tanks to Ukraine in the past few days. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht from the SPD had previously rejected this.