Merz
Friedrich Merz is a German politician and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Since late 2024 he has served as Federal Chancellor of Germany, heading a coalition government. Before returning to frontline politics he had a career in business and law, including chairing the supervisory board of BlackRock Germany.
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Germany to boost Ukraine military aid after blaming Russia for Leipzig airport drone attack
On 1 September Germany formally blamed Russia for a series of drone incidents at Leipzig/Halle airport in August and announced a package of response measures. Berlin plans to supply Ukraine with thousands of strike drones and Iris-T air-defence missiles in September, deepen intelligence cooperation, and push for tougher EU sanctions. Germany also decided to close Russia's consulate in Bonn and terminate the lease of the "Russian House" in Berlin. The AfD in the Bundestag called for investigating a possible "Ukrainian trace," putting it at odds with the government's position.