Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, warned that Europe is underestimating the risks posed by Russia and stated that President Vladimir Putin seeks not only to defeat Ukraine but also to weaken European democracies.
“My greatest concern is the underestimated Russian impact on our societies,” Merz said in an interview with Bloomberg on Monday. “Russia is on a path to destabilize the entire political order of the European continent.”
The German government accused Moscow of being behind a thwarted drone attack attempt on an airport in Leipzig, in August, one of several recent incidents attributed to Russia or Kremlin allies. This year Berlin also closed the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russ House cultural center in Berlin, a move that led Moscow to close Goethe-Institut branches in Russia.
According to Merz, many Europeans, including Germans, have not yet understood the scale of the threat.
“They do not see what the real aim of Russia is,” he said. “This is not merely about territorial gains in Ukraine. They fear democracy, open societies, and the success of European integration.”
The head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency had already warned this month that the country has become one of the main targets of a “war in the shadows” waged by Moscow, and that the Russian threat has taken on a “new and more dangerous” level.
Merz also emphasized that Germany and other European allies have been financing the Ukrainian war effort without U.S. help to fund equipment and defense.
“It is a major strain on our budgets and on the European Union,” he said. “But we are doing it and trying to sustain this support until the end of this terrible war.”
The chancellor also stated that he is trying to convince U.S. President Donald Trump that a stable Europe is in Washington’s strategic interest.
“A stable Europe, a strong European Union, and a partner on the global stage is also valuable to Americans,” he said.
The statements come amid rising tensions between Europe and the United States over the war in Ukraine. European leaders fear having to sustain support for Kyiv on their own, while Trump adopts positions seen as more favorable to Moscow.
In a Bloomberg interview on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Washington of pressuring Ukraine to accept concessions to Russia. According to him, there was a deliberate slowdown of the Starlink network used by Ukrainian forces and delays in sending Patriot interceptors.
Merz said that European governments have understood the gravity of the situation and are working to strengthen their defense capacity and reduce dependence on the United States.
“We are taking the warning seriously,” he said. “And trying to position ourselves in a strong enough posture to compete and defend ourselves more independently within NATO.”
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