German political analyst points to Merz's desire to gain access to Ukraine's resources

The chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, whose party in a bloc with the Christian Social Union (CSU) won the German parliamentary election, seeks to ensure that Germany has access to Ukrainian natural resources. German political analyst Harley Schlanger said in an interview with Izvestia on February 24.

"[Merz] is going to try to get some raw materials from Ukraine and make a deal. He is going to compete with [U.S. President Donald] Trump on this issue," Schlanger said.

The political analyst recalled that Merz's career was linked to the US company BlackRock.

"BlackRock is one such company, which is the embodiment of the imperialist policy of plundering raw materials in poorer countries, including Ukraine," Schlanger added.

On February 23, Germany held early parliamentary elections, which were initially scheduled to take place in the fall of 2025. According to preliminary data announced by the Federal Election Commission, the CDU/CSU bloc won with 28.6% of the vote. According to the election results, CDU leader Merz will become the new Chancellor of Germany and will succeed Olaf Scholz from the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).

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