Kremlin Hates Merz. Good.

Friedrich Merz just said what others wouldn't: Putin is a war criminal, not a peace partner.

Boris Pistorius, Germany’s Defense Minister, understands the threat Vladimir Putin poses—not just to Ukraine, but to Germany and the democratic world. You can hear it in his urgency, in the way he speaks about the war. But knowing the stakes is not the same as having the freedom to act. And with Olaf Scholz above him—as Chancellor and head of the Social Democrats—Pistorius was always constrained. Scholz set the tone for a government that too often tiptoed around escalation. So Pistorius had to measure every word, every move—not because he lacked conviction, but because he lacked space.

And yet, through all of that, Pistorius kept Germany’s support for Ukraine from falling apart. Every time weapons deliveries teetered on the edge of failure, he pulled them back. It was only after he became Defense Minister that German military aid began flowing at pace—no more delays, no more dithering.

Any other man might have thrown up his hands after months of setbacks on long-range air defense. For the first half of 2024, Europe made promise after promise—and delivered nothing. But in the end, it was Germany that led the air defense coalition for Ukraine. They said they’d send ten units. They sent ten. Maybe it’s too much to give Pistorius all the credit. I’ll do it anyway—because without him, with Scholz still calling the shots, I don’t think Germany would’ve done what it did in such a short time.

Now, that chapter is coming to an end. The current administration is on its way out. The Social Democrats will be reduced to junior partners, and a new government is taking shape under Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union.

Yesterday, during a televised interview in Germany, Friedrich Merz made it abundantly clear: he’s not cut from the same cautious cloth as Angela Merkel or Olaf Scholz. This is a different kind of German leader. One who, at least so far, isn’t showing a flicker of fear when it comes to the Kremlin.

And honestly, it’s about time.