Morning Briefing: Das eine Thema, an dem Kanzler Merz noch wachsen kann

Guten Morgen, liebe Leserinnen und Leser. As Chancellor Merz continues to search for new areas to grow, the current state of the SPD, CDU, and CSU leaves little doubt that he may have already failed. However, on the international stage, Chancellor Merz still has as much at stake as the entire country. This was a positive development over the weekend, as Merz surprisingly announced his presence in Kiev on Sunday morning.

The chancellor made it clear that the tone seemed appropriate given the current world situation. The previous day, the New York Times had revealed that the US government was negotiating both peace for Ukraine and a billion-dollar oil business, which would benefit businessmen connected to their negotiators. In France, a pro-Ukraine government could take power as early as next year.

In Germany, the focus on Ukraine is becoming less popular. However, Merz, the reform chancellor, remains committed to his role as an external chancellor. Accompanied by Finance Minister Katherina Reiche and a small delegation of economic representatives, the chancellor and his team attended a meeting where German and Ukrainian companies agreed to a series of deals worth 6.5 billion euros.