LOS ANGELES.–Boldly deviating from post WW II German pacifism, 69-year-old German Chancellor ignored German history to end any restriction on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons on Russian territory.  President Vladimir Putin won’t take the escalation lightly and will no doubt deal or kill and chance at a ceasefire and peace deal for the foreseeable future.  Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelens has been asking Germany for long-range Taurus missile systems capable of a 500 km or 300 mile range.  “There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine—neither by the British, nor the French, nor by us, nor by the Americans,” Merz said.  Merz knows his predecessor former Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposed delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Merz talks tough for someone who knows the damage Germany did to Russia in WW II.

 How ironic that when Trump has worked feverishly to bring peace to Ukraine, Merz decides to escalate the war by approving long range missiles.  “This means that Ukraine can now defend itself, for example, by attacking military positions in Russia . . .  With very few exceptions, it didn’t do that until recently.  It can now do that,” Merz said. Merz said Trump approves his decision but does he really?  It would be hypocritical of Trump working toward peace to approve Ukraine’s use of attacking military targets inside Russia.  Kremlin reacted to Merz’s statement calling it “dangerous.”  “If these decisions have indeed been made, they are completely at odds with out aspirations for a political settlement,” said Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.  Merz decision will give Putin second thoughts of signing onto any ceasefire or peace agreement, essentially blackmailing the Kremlin.

If French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and U.K. Prime Minister all back using long-range weapons on Russia, it hints the Brussels has decided to continue funding the Ukraine War.  EU officials know that Trump has tried to restore U.S.-Russian relations after four years of former President Joe Biden. He was the first and only U.S. president to go to war with the Kremlin.  All other U.S. presidents since WW II did everything possible to get along with the Soviet Union and now Russian Federation. Biden trashed decades of diplomacy, détente, arms control and global cooperation, all to fund proxy war in Ukraine.  Trump’s national security team is disgusted with EU efforts to sabotage Trump’s peace plans.  EU officials are all at odds with the Kremlin, having no clout on ending the conflict, like hitting Moscow with more economic sanctions.

Trump has a real dilemma on his hands to salvage what’s left of peace talks now that EU has done everything to sabotage them.  Approving the U.S. of long-term weapons opens the door to an escalation of the conflict, not mitigating the war.  Zelensky plans to visit Berlin May 27 no doubt to discuss the delivery to Germany’s long-range Taurus missile system.  “We call it in the jargon’long-range fire, which is to say to equip Ukraine with weapons with which it can strike at military goal beyond its borders,’” Merz told the Europaforum conference.  Merz said there’s a clear difference between targeting civilians than Zelensky seeking to target Russian military bases. Doesn’t Merz see the big picture that he’s giving Zelensky the power to escalate the conflict to the point in drags in the EU?  Why should Trump rescue the EU when they’re in over their head with a war with Russia?

            So, when Zelensky visits Berlin, he may get what he thinks he wants, long-range missiles, but he won’t get a ceasefire and peace talks. Trump needs to catch up to what the EU has done to sabotage his peace efforts.  Merz seems like he’s open for a fight with the Kremlin, buying all of Zelensky’s propaganda that he’s the innocent bystander in Russian aggression.  Merz shows no signs of backing down with Germany playing a more aggressive role in the over three-year conflict.” After the last three weeks, no one can seriously accuse us of not having exhausted all available diplomatic means,” Merz said, meaning that he’s ready to join the fight.  Merz completely ignores the efforts made by Trump to bring about peace in Ukraine.  Merz acts like everything Trump did with Putin was unfair to Ukraine.  Merz has showed he’s power hungry for a greater role in the conflict.

            Trump should put Merz on notice that he’s sabotaging peace talks making an end to the Ukraine War all the more impossible.  Supplying Ukraine long-range Taurus weapons is a directly provocative act to Putin, something that will force the Russian leader to double down with his attacks.  How other more sensible countries in the EU won’t confront Merz and stop him before it’s too late is anyone’s guess.  Merz has completely ignored Trump’s peace efforts, talking like Trump tries to cajole Zelensky into a bad deal.  Merz hasn’t exhausted all available diplomatic means because he’s completely, on Zelensky’s commands, ignored all the work Trump has put into peace talks.  Merz and the EU are prepared to take over funding the war because it’s about to escalate beyond anyone’s imagination.  Merz has opened up Pandora’s Box and must live with the consequences.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.