The German chancellor has warned Putin poses a long term threat to the whole of Europe and not just Ukraine.
Friedrich Merz said the US’s accusations that the continent was doing too little to secure its own defence was right as Putin continues to make threats against Western Europe.
In a visits to the UK in a bid boost the countries’ defence ties as part of a friendship treaty, the chancellor said more need to be done to prepare against Putin’s threats.
He told the BBC: ‘We are seeing a big threat, and the threat is Russia. And this threat is not only on Ukraine.
‘It’s on our peace, on our freedom, on the political order of Europe.’
Merz said US President Donald Trump’s accusations that the continent was doing too little to secure its own defence was right, admitting they had been ‘free-riders in the past’.
At a security conference in Munich in the run up to the German election, US Vice-President JD Vance read out a list of accusations against European countries.
Following this, the new chancellor was able to push for a change in the German constitution to allow for a rise in defence spending, describing the new rule was ‘to do whatever it takes’.
He said: ‘We are not strong enough, our army is not strong enough, so that’s the reason why we are spending a lot of money.’
On the night of his election victory, he said Trump’s administration was ‘largely indifferent to the fate of Europe’.
Instead the UK, France and Germany are working on an alliance dubbed the E3 to focus on security as well as economic growth.
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Britain and Germany already collaborate in making Typhoon Eurofighter jets and Boxer armoured vehicles.
They are also developing a 2,000km range missile, with assurances Ukraine would receive support in ‘long-range fire’.
Trump also said he will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine to help in its defense against Russia. The weapons will be ‘quickly distributed to the battlefield’, he said.
As Trump issued the threat, seven regions in northern and eastern Ukraine were under air alerts after drones killed four people and injured 21 others in the Kharkiv and Sumy areas.
He announced the threat to Russia during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump has threatened to hit European imports with 30% sanctions. Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Rasmussen, called it ‘absolutely unacceptable and unjustified’ and said that Europe does ‘not want a trade war’ with America.
The European Union’s trade commissioner said they are considering retaliatory tariffs if Trump moves forward.
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