(BERLIN, GERMANY) – Europe is underestimating the threat posed by the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who seeks not only to defeat Ukraine but also to destabilise the entire political order of the continent, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Merz said Russia is “on a path toward destabilising the entire political order on our European continent”.
He confirmed that the United States is no longer contributing to the defence of Ukraine in terms of paying for weapons and equipment, and that European and non-American allies have taken over that burden.
“Since the beginning of last year, the coalition of the willing combined all of Europeans and many non-European partners, but not the US, are paying for Ukraine,” he said. “The US are no longer contributing to the defence of Ukraine in terms of paying for weapons and for equipment.”
Merz said the arrangement represented a major burden on European budgets.
“This is indeed a major burden on our budgets; it is truly an important matter for the European Union,” he said. “But we are doing it and trying to continue doing it until this terrible war is over.”
He said he repeatedly seeks to convince Donald Trump that a stable Europe is in Washington’s own interest.
“I try to convince Donald Trump every time I meet with him that this must be in his own interests,” Merz said.
The chancellor stressed that many people, including in Germany, do not take the Russian threat seriously enough.
“They do not see what Russia’s real goal is. It is not only territorial gains in Ukraine. They are afraid of democracy. They are afraid of open societies. They are afraid of the success of European integration,” he said.
Merz added that the United States under its current administration has fundamentally changed its global approach.
“Because the US under this presidency have fundamentally changed their global approach, and making America Great again says nothing more than we are working on our own and all the others have to do the same,” he said.
“So the European answer is yes. We understood we are working on our behalf and we are working in our own interest.”
On the question of whether he believes Trump is using Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a scapegoat, Merz said he sees mixed messages from Washington.
“We are seeing mixed pictures and messages from the US,” he said. “There are some who are still very engaged in terms of negotiating, talking with each other, talking with Ukraine, talking with Russia. There are those who are having a different view.”
Merz also responded to recent comments by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who reportedly visited Putin for his birthday, calling the visit “completely immoral”.
He said Germany would continue supporting Ukraine until the war ends on Ukrainian terms.
“Ukraine is an independent country, and the key condition is the preservation of this country, the territorial integrity of this country,” he said. “Our goal is to bring this terrible war to an end under Ukrainian terms, not US or Russia.”
Merz also addressed the broader economic and political challenges facing Europe, including the need for a stronger European pillar within NATO. He noted that European allies agreed at The Hague summit to spend up to 3.5% of GDP on defence.
He said Germany remains committed to the euro and the European Union, warning that a German exit from the monetary union would cause the eurozone to collapse and would cause the biggest damage to Germany itself.
On China, Merz said Europe does not want a trade war and is seeking fair trade and a level playing field.
“We are offering something which is the tariff free access to one of the biggest markets in the world,” he said. “But this is under preconditions and the precondition is fair trade.”
The interview was published by Bloomberg Podcasts on 19th October 2026.
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