Cliff Notes – Germany’s coalition deal critised

CDU and CSU strike coalition deal with SPD to form new government
Ukraine ambassador to Germany criticises the coalition agreement
Melnyk criticised the lack of “concrete military” assurances in the coalition deal

Germany’s coalition deal critised by Ukrainian ambassador to Germany

Merz’s CDU and its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) have struck a coalition deal with the SPD to form a new government. The coalition agreement came after the CDU came in first place in snap German elections in February.

The former Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, has criticised the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD, expressing doubts over the new government’s commitment to support Ukraine.

“If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin reads this foggy coalition agreement, he can open a bottle of Crimean champagne,” Melnyk said, referring to the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Germany’s conservatives, SPD reach coalition agreement

Melnyk criticised the lack of “concrete military” assurances in the coalition deal, saying the agreement contains “only general formulations that fall short of even Olaf Scholz.”

The coalition agreement says Germany will substantially strengthen and reliably continue “military, civilian and political support” to Ukraine along with its partners and says Germany will participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine, among other efforts.

Melnyk has been nominated to be Ukraine’s envoy to the UN, so he may come in contact with Germany’s new government in the future.