Merz lauds NATO with Westphalian Peace Prize
In a keynote speech on foreign policy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a stark warning against reducing aid to Ukraine in its defense against Russia.
“If we waver in Germany, then Europe wavers. If Europe wavers, then Ukraine wavers as well,” he cautioned at the ceremony in Münster where the Westphalian Peace Prize was awarded to NATO.
Merz specifically warned that Russia could attack Germany and NATO if Ukraine falls. “If we fail to stop Moscow, then sooner or later, the Russian war machine will turn against us, against NATO itself. We must not turn a blind eye to this danger,” he stressed.
The German chancellor emphasized that without German aid, the war against Ukraine would result in an “imposed peace.” This would lead to mass migration toward the West and the destabilization of the Ukrainian state, according to Merz.
He touched only briefly on the meeting between Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York last weekend.
Merz said it was yet another example of how diplomatic efforts fell on deaf ears in Moscow. Russia understands only the “language of strength” and must be brought to the negotiating table through this approach, he stressed.
Merz said “unity and strength remain prerequisites for successful negotiations with Moscow. And this can only encourage us to keep the United States of America by our side in our policy regarding Ukraine”.
Merz calls for unity against AfD
Merz said that a united front is also needed in Germany, where the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) has seen significant success in recent state elections and currently leads in nationwide polls.
“We in Germany, too, will not allow ourselves to be divided,” Merz said. “Not by hybrid attacks, not by social media agitation driven by Moscow-controlled bots, and… not by the slogans of the AfD and its Russian backers.”
The AfD wants Berlin to stop providing military and financial support to Ukraine, lift sanctions against Russia, and restore dialogue.
What is Westphalian Peace Prize?
The Westphalian Peace Prize is awarded every two years by the Economic Society for Westphalia and Lippe (WWL).
The award commemorates the Peace of Westphalia of 1648, which was concluded in the town halls of Münster and Osnabrück.
It brought an end to the Thirty Years’ War and is regarded as a contribution to the European peace order among states with equal rights.
This year, NATO was honored for its contribution to the European peace order.
