German Chancellor Friedrich Merz compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler on Saturday, cautioning that the Kremlin leader’s ambitions will not stop with Ukraine.
“Just as the Sudetenland was not enough in 1938, Putin will not stop,” Merz said, referencing the region of Czechoslovakia ceded to Nazi Germany, after which Hitler continued his expansion across Europe.
Merz emphasized, “If Ukraine falls, he won’t stop there,” signaling concerns over potential Russian aggression beyond Ukraine.
Diplomatic Efforts Underway
Officials from Germany, the UK, and France are reportedly meeting this weekend to discuss proposals to end the war in Ukraine. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is also expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will visit Berlin on Monday to meet Merz.
A U.S.-backed 20-point peace plan is under discussion, which includes territorial concessions from Ukraine. One proposal would turn the Donbas region into a free-trade zone, allowing American companies to operate freely.
Merz delivered his remarks at a Christian Social Union (CSU) party conference in Bavaria, aligned with his party, the Christian Democrats.
