(CLO) The disastrous meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday has left Germany in a state of shock. The parties likely to join the ruling coalition, the CDU/CSU and the SPD, are planning to invest billions of euros in defense.
The political climate in Germany is currently filled with uncertainty. Leading politicians are struggling to come up with a response to major geopolitical shifts after a tumultuous week that has left Europe's largest country with a sense that the global landscape has fundamentally changed.
Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz. Photo: X
Germany is in the process of forming a new government after a federal election eight days ago. Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz was kept out of the spotlight as French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer led the agenda at a meeting in London on Sunday. The two leaders expressed support for Mr Zelenskyy and discussed the possibility of proposing a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
However, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil stressed that the recent White House spat was a "wake-up call". He said: "The next German government has a big responsibility in European policy. Together with Poland and France, these three countries will play a key role in creating stability in Europe." Mr Klingbeil is rumoured to be the next German foreign minister.
Steps once considered unthinkable are now being discussed openly in Berlin. New multibillion-euro investment programs are being proposed to help the Bundeswehr defend itself without relying on the United States, and to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia even if the United States withdraws some or all of its aid. Up to 400 billion euros ($419 billion) have been mentioned, and Germany would have to go into debt to pay for them.
However, the creation of this “special fund” requires two-thirds support in the German parliament, which is difficult due to the presence of the far-right AfD and the Left Party, which won significant votes in the recent election.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz aims to form a coalition government before Easter. However, he admitted: "We want to do something for the Bundeswehr, which became clearer after the White House event. But we have not reached an agreement yet. I cannot make any predictions."
Cao Phong (according to DW, CNN)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/duc-xem-xet-lai-quan-he-doi-tac-voi-my-post336984.html
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