Merz admits Europeans have been ‘free-riders' on defence
During his first visit to London as chancellor, Mr Merz signed the "historic" Kensington treaty with UK prime minister Keir Starmer, aiming to deepen defence cooperation and boost economic growth.
Mr Merz stated that Germany would do "whatever it takes" to increase its defence spending and expand the size of its army.
He said that he and the US president are "on the same page" regarding Ukraine, coordinating efforts to end the war and discussing trade debates and tariffs.
The chancellor and Sir Keir discussed boosting European support for Ukraine, with Merz indicating that Ukraine would soon receive substantial additional support in long-range strike systems.
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