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Friedrich Merz to Visit Ukraine Immediately After Being Elected Chancellor, Die Welt Reports
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![Amira_barkhush]( "Photo of Amira Barkhush")
Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, plans to visit Ukraine immediately after his expected appointment, Die Welt reported on April 15.
The newly appointed Chancellor Friedrich Merz is planning an immediate trip to Ukraine, whose President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited heads of state and government to a ‘coalition of the willing’ summit on May 9, provided Merz is elected in time, the outlet wrote, citing Politico.
On April 13, Russia launched a deadly strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, killing at least 34 people and injuring 117. Speaking on the ARD program Caren Miosga, Merz called the attack “clearly a serious war crime.”
On April 13, it was reported that Merz signaled his willingness to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles, marking a potential shift in Berlin’s military support as Kyiv continues to press for more high-precision weapons to hit deep into Russian-held territory.
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Several European foreign ministers have expressed support for Merz’s proposal to provide Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
“Taurus KEPD 350” is a German-Swedish cruise missile fired from fighter jets with a maximum range of 500 km. It can travel at a maximum speed of around 1,170 km per hour—almost as fast as the speed of sound—and at an altitude of only 35 meters, making it very difficult for radar systems to detect.
Ukraine has long been advocating for receiving Taurus missiles which could be highly effective against striking key Russian military targets and command posts.
The acting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far refused to supply Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles, citing concerns that doing so could draw Germany into direct confrontation with Russia.
