Newly appointed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Wednesday his commitment to unify Europe and the United States in their strategy regarding Ukraine, strengthen Germany's military to establish the most formidable conventional army in Europe, and reinvigorate the continent's largest economy as a driving force for growth.
Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), assumed office a week ago following his victory in Germany's federal elections in February, which concluded a six-month period during which the European Union's most populous nation was without a government holding a parliamentary majority.