Scholz and Macron show joint support for Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Germany would not prohibit Ukrainian attacks on Russian military targets, asserting Ukraine "is allowed to defend itself."

Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed their support for Ukraine during the Franco-German defense and security council in Meseberg on Tuesday. Previously, Scholz had been firm on Ukraine not using Western weapons to strike Russian targets. However, he aligned more with Macron's stance on the final day of Macron's historic state visit to Germany.

Both leaders set aside their disagreements and reached a compromise on EU defense. Scholz became more open to military aid for Ukraine, acknowledging Kyiv's right to target military sites in Russia but not civilian targets. This marked a shift for Berlin, as Scholz had been reluctant to allow such strikes due to concerns about escalating the conflict with nuclear-armed Russia.

Scholz's new stance on military aid
«Ukraine has every possibility to do this, under international law,» Scholz said. «It must be said clearly, if Ukraine is attacked, it can defend itself.»


Scholz emphasized that it was strange to argue against Ukraine's right to defend itself and take suitable measures. Germany, however, still refuses to deliver long-range missiles (over 500 km) to Ukraine, unlike Paris and Washington D.C.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of "serious consequences" if Western countries permitted Ukraine to use their weapons to strike targets in Russia.

Macron's reconciliation with Berlin
Macron sought to reconcile with Berlin after Germany initiated a European anti-missile shield project without including France. Other differing views, such as economic links to China and the US, have also strained the Franco-German relationship. Macron advocates for greater European independence in defense and wants to protect the economy from 'unfair' competition from China and the US, while Scholz emphasizes the importance of transatlantic ties and trade relations with China.

Facing the far-right challenge
The historic state visit aimed to present a united Franco-German front as both leaders face challenges from far-right parties ahead of the European elections. In France, the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) leads the polls at 33%, while Macron's Renaissance party is at 15.5%. Marie Krpata, a researcher at the Committee for Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) in Paris, noted that Macron's visit to Germany also signals his pro-European stance.


According to PolitPro's latest election trend in Germany, the Christian democratic and conservative alliance CDU/CSU leads with just over 30%. The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has surpassed Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD), with AfD at 15.8% and SPD at 14.3%.

Credit: Yahoo