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German Chancellor Urges Unity After SPD Politicians Call for Talks With Russia

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the need for unity within the government on its stance regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine, following the publication of a “manifesto” by a group of prominent politicians from the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
This was reported by Deutsche Welle on June 12, citing AFP.
“We in the government are fully united in our assessment of the war Russia is waging against Ukraine and in the conclusions we draw from it. I expect that this unity will be maintained,” Merz said on June 11, without directly criticizing the SPD initiative.
The document calls for a reassessment of Germany’s foreign and security policy, including closer engagement with Russia, calling for a halt to planned increases in defense spending and the start of negotiations with Russia.

Signed by dozens of SPD members, the manifesto calls for renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine, the initiation of talks with Moscow, a freeze on defense budget increases, and an end to the deployment of long-range US weapons on German soil.
Additionally, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius firmly rejected calls from several members of his own SPD to shift Berlin’s policy toward Moscow. Speaking to journalists in Berlin on June 11, Pistorius made clear that he does not support any change of course in Germany’s stance on Russia.
On June 6, Merz stated that some American lawmakers do not fully grasp the scale of Russia’s rearmament campaign.
