Shadow-Dancing with the Taurus?

Germany’s Friedrich Merz makes a mess. But with what purpose?

German chancellor Friedrich Merz, from Germany’s mainstream CDU/CSU conservatives, has caused a stir. This time with statements about German weapons in Ukraine. Or to be precise, how exactly Kiev’s troops may use weapons provided by Berlin. Namely, in short, as they like: Speaking at a public forum organized by a major German TV station, Merz declared that there are no range limits anymore on how far the Ukrainian military can shoot German weapons into Russia.

Merz’s statements managed to be both sensational (sort of) and a muddle. He implied that they marked change, but by now his Social Democrat coalition partners and even Merz himself are saying the opposite: that he wasn’t telling us anything new.

It seems Merz has been improvising without thinking things through. In that case, no biggie. That’s just the way he is: not as dissimilar from the American impulse monster Donald Trump as the dour chancellor from orderly Germany may wish to imagine.