Ukraine war brings one unexpected benefit for Europe, Merz says
Photo: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Getty Images)
Russia’s war in Ukraine has triggered an unprecedented surge in military technology development, with a pace that would have been impossible in peacetime, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a press conference during a summit in Cyprus.
Technological leap
According to the Chancellor, as of the first half of 2026, he feels far more confident about security issues than he did several years ago.
He says the main factor is the rapid narrowing of the technological gap and the modernization of the military.
"Today, at the beginning or in the first or second quarter of 2026, I am more optimistic than I was two or three years ago because I see how quickly we are now catching up," Merz said.
The role of the war in Ukraine
Merz stressed that it was Russia’s war that forced the world to accelerate military technology development at a pace that would have been impossible in peacetime.
He noted that this experience is helping countries prepare to address defense needs on their own.
"We are witnessing military-technological development advancing at a speed that would not have happened without this war. And in that, despite all the tragedy of this war and the terrible pain, there is also a great opportunity that we will use," the Chancellor said.
Russian threats and strategic shift
Recently, Russia was officially identified as the main security threat in Europe in Germany’s first-ever comprehensive military strategy.
The document provides for large-scale reform of the Bundeswehr to transform it into the most powerful conventional army on the continent, capable of sustained defense.
In addition, Russia’s ambassador was recently urgently summoned to the German Foreign Ministry over direct Kremlin threats against critical infrastructure in the country. In Berlin, these actions are viewed as part of a hybrid warfare campaign aimed at intimidating the population and undermining military support for Ukraine.
Germany has significantly shifted its position on supplying weapons to Ukraine over the past two years.
While at the beginning of the war, the transfer of helmets was under discussion, by 2026, Germany had become one of the leading suppliers of armored vehicles, air defense systems, and ammunition, despite ongoing attempts by Russia to sow divisions within Europe.
