BERLIN

Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday urged Germany to prepare more effectively for potential global security and economic crises in the years ahead.

During his address to top representatives of Germany's federal states in the Bundesrat (Federal Council), Merz emphasized that the world is currently experiencing a profound transformation in the geopolitical order.

"Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine, we face Russian hybrid threats directed at Germany, and Russia consistently tests our defense readiness at NATO's external borders," Merz said.

"The transatlantic relationship is changing. The era of the peace dividend, as we called it, is over, and a harsh wind is blowing against us in the global economy," he said, referring to US President Donald Trump's security and trade policies that treat Europe more as a competitor than an ally.

“We will not be able to avert every crisis that we will face internationally in the coming years, and there will be a number of them. But it is all the more important, all the more urgent, that we do everything we can to consolidate and strengthen Germany and Europe,” he stressed.

Merz called for support from the federal states for his government's plans to strengthen Germany's defense capabilities, modernize infrastructure, and boost investments to bridge the digitalization gap with other economic powers. These measures, he emphasized, are essential to ensure growth and prosperity in the coming years.