Germany’s Scholz vows to ‘stand by’ Kyiv as Ukraine debate rages at home

BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed his country would continue providing military aid to Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday, even as he faced criticism at home for sending mixed signals on the war amid an election campaign.

“I am saying this very clearly to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin today: We have staying power and will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes,” said Scholz at a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Scholz’s visit to Kyiv came as an emotional debate over military support for Ukraine heats up in Germany ahead of an early election set for Feb. 23. Over the weekend, Scholz warned voters in a post on X that conservative leader Friedrich Merz’s more hawkish stance on military support for Ukraine poses an incalculable risk given Russia’s nuclear capabilities.

“Merz wants to issue an ultimatum to the nuclear power, Russia,” Scholz wrote. “All I can say is: When it comes to war and peace, you don’t need an unpredictable opposition leader, you need a cool head.”

Merz, who is in pole position to become Germany’s next chancellor, has frequently criticized Scholz for refusing to deliver Germany’s long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Merz has said he would deliver the cruise missiles to Kyiv if the Kremlin refuses an ultimatum to stop bombing civilian targets in Ukraine.

In Germany, Scholz’s surprise trip was widely seen as an attempt by the leader to burnish his credentials as a statesman ahead of the February election. Some speculated that the chancellor wanted to beat Merz to the punch amid media reports that the conservative leader has received an invitation to visit Kyiv as well.

During the trip on Monday, Scholz visited wounded Ukrainian troops in a hospital, and placed a candle in front of a memorial for fallen soldiers.

“I expressed my deep appreciation for their courage and bravery,” said Scholz of his hospital visit. “The encounter with them and the personal dialogue were important to me and I can expressly say that I won’t forget that.”

Scholz has steadfastly refused to deliver Taurus missiles to Ukraine, despite Zelenskyy’s pleas for the weapons, saying the move could lead to an escalation of the war. The United States, United Kingdom and France — all of which have nuclear weapons — have provided Ukraine with their own long-range missiles.

“We have so much in common, but look at some things differently. Taurus is among them,” said Zelenskyy alongside Scholz. “We’re working on getting to a common position on Taurus. We could have targeted so many more Russian military targets with it if we had had it.”

Scholz has campaigned on his refusal to send long-range missiles to Kyiv, depicting the decision as evidence of his “prudence” even as he frequently points out that Germany has provided more military aid to Ukraine in absolute terms than any other European country. Germany has provided military aid amounting to around €28 billion to Kyiv, according to government data, making Berlin Ukraine’s biggest military supporter after the U.S.

Merz on Sunday fired back at Scholz, arguing that the chancellor’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is known for mobilizing “people’s fear of war” whenever “things get tight.”

“In election campaigns, the SPD has never shown any scruples about playing on the deep-seated fears of the German population in particular,” he added.

Merz and his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) appear set to assume power within months following the November collapse of Scholz’s left-leaning coalition. Germany’s conservatives are far ahead in the polls, with 32 percent support to the SPD’s 15 percent.

Scholz’s approach to Ukraine has been widely criticized by politicians in the Greens as well, who are more closely aligned with Merz and the CDU on military aid for Ukraine.

“The question is: Are we running a domestic election campaign at the expense and on the back of a state and its citizens who are being shot at from Russia every day?” Felix Banaszak, one of the leaders of the Greens, said on Monday. “I simply can’t advise anyone to do that.”

Merz also said Scholz should realign his priorities to take care of the economic turmoil at home rather than stoke fears of an escalation of the war.

“The SPD’s war rhetoric also deliberately obscures the view of other problems in our country,” Merz said in a statement. “The consequences of the recession in Germany, which has now lasted almost two years, are becoming visible on the labor market.”

Adding to the broad sense of economic turmoil in Germany, more than 10,000 workers went on warning strikes at nearly all GermanVolkswagen plants on Monday, according to media reports. The workforce has been at odds with management since the automaker announced plans to close plants in Germany for the first time in its 87-year history, putting tens of thousands of jobs on the line. 

Hans von der Burchard contributed reporting.