**German Politician Visits Ukraine**
Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), arrived in Kyiv on December 9. His goal was to see how Ukraine is defending itself and find ways for Germany to help.
Merz had visited Ukraine before, in May 2022. He said then that Germany should give more military support to Ukraine, including missiles called Taurus. Now, he wants to know what the situation is like and where Germany can provide support.
“I’m here today to see how things are going in Ukraine,” Merz said. “I want to understand how we can help.”
Merz’s visit comes just a week after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Kyiv. During his visit, Merz repeated his idea of sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine if Russia doesn’t stop bombing.
“If there are no more bombings, then the first step would be to remove restrictions on how far these missiles can fly,” Merz said. “And then we could deliver them.”
Germany has already promised to send $680 million worth of military equipment to Ukraine by the end of the year. This includes things like air defense systems, tanks, and drones.
Merz is running for chancellor in Germany’s upcoming elections. He leads in polls ahead of the February election.