Three weeks into his chancellorship, Friedrich Merz is wasting no time signalling a sharp pivot in Germany’s foreign policy.
Today he will welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Berlin, marking their third meeting in as many weeks—a frequency that speaks volumes about the new chancellor’s priorities.
Zelenskyy’s visit is more than a diplomatic courtesy. It underscores Merz’s determination to reassert Germany’s leadership role in Europe, particularly in the face of wavering American resolve and growing anxiety over the West’s long-term commitment to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president is expected to meet Mr. Merz in the Chancellery, before both men address the press at a joint news conference later in the day. Zelenskyy will then proceed to Bellevue Palace for talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, reinforcing Berlin’s full-court press of support for Kyiv.
Police have already begun cordoning off parts of the government district in Berlin in anticipation of the high-profile visit—a familiar scene from previous visits by Zelensky, but now freighted with added political symbolism.
For Merz, the optics are deliberate. His embrace of the Ukrainian leader marks a decisive departure from the hesitant, often strained relationship Kyiv endured under Olaf Scholz.
The former chancellor was widely criticised for his sluggish response in the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion; he did not visit Ukraine until a full year after Russian troops crossed the border. Merz, by contrast, travelled to Ukraine just three days after taking office, accompanied by his French and Polish counterparts—an echo of the 2022 “Weimar Triangle” visit, but with renewed urgency.
This shift is not merely performative. The talks are expected to centre on ramping up German military support at a time when Washington appears increasingly ambivalent.
For Zelenskyy, Germany’s Taurus missile system remains a top priority. Co-developed with Sweden, the long-range cruise missile could provide Ukraine with the strike capabilities needed to hit Russian logistics and command centres deep behind enemy lines. During the campaign, Merz signalled his willingness to supply the system to Ukraine—subject, of course, to parliamentary approval and NATO coordination.
The chancellor’s rhetoric leaves little room for ambiguity. “In Ukraine, nothing less than the peace order of our entire continent is at stake,” Merz told the Bundestag in his maiden address as chancellor. “In this historic moment of decision, Europe must stand together more closely than ever before.”
That appeal for unity is as much a message to Brussels and Paris as it is to Kyiv. The war in Ukraine has laid bare the inadequacies of Europe’s defence architecture, long sheltered under the American security umbrella.
With NATO’s eastern flank under renewed threat and the transatlantic bond increasingly subject to Washington’s domestic politics, Merz appears determined to chart a more assertive course.
Whether this heralds a durable shift or simply a temporary uptick in German engagement remains to be seen. Merz must still navigate a wary public, a fractious Bundestag, and the entrenched caution of Germany’s foreign-policy establishment. The Taurus system, for instance, has sparked controversy within the ruling coalition, with some voices expressing concern over potential escalation.
Nevertheless, Merz’s early manoeuvres have not gone unnoticed. His swift outreach to Kyiv, his revival of the Franco-German-Polish axis, and his clear-eyed rhetoric on Russian aggression mark a dramatic change in tone. After years of introspection, dithering, and deference under Scholz, Berlin appears to be stirring.
Zelenskyy, ever the consummate communicator, is keen to reward this momentum. Germany is not just a financial and military partner—it is a symbol. Where Berlin leads, others in Europe often follow.
The stakes could hardly be higher. With the U.S. stepping back, the burden of deterrence and diplomacy is shifting eastward. Merz, for now, seems ready to carry it. Whether his government has the political capital—and the public backing—to do so over the long haul is the question that will define not just his chancellorship, but the strategic future of Europe.
As the two leaders meet behind closed doors today, the message is unmistakable: Germany is back in the game—and this time, it wants to lead.
Main Image: Door © European Union, 2025, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128562453
