German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a press conference, as he meets with eastern German state premiers, at Ettersburg Castle, in Ettersburg, Germany, 25 September 2025;
Credit: Reuters/Karina Hessland
DÜSSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - On Monday 29 September 2025, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Europe "is not at war ... but no longer at peace" with Russia.
"Let me put it in a sentence that may be a little shocking at first glance ... we are not at war, but we are no longer at peace either," Merz said at a media event in Düsseldorf.
Russia's war is "a war against our democracy and a war against our freedom," Merz said, adding that Moscow's intention was to undermine unity in the bloc.
He also referred to his recent endorsement of an EU plan to unlock frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine's war effort, saying the move could provide military support for Ukraine for three to five years.
Merz said within that time period it could become economically untenable for Russia to continue its war on Ukraine.
