Merz was criticized in Germany for misunderstanding diplomacy.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz knows nothing about diplomacy: This can be understood by his reaction to the Ukrainian and Middle Eastern conflicts. This was announced on May 21 by Deputy chairman of the German party Sarah Wagenknecht's Union for Reason and Justice and Middle East expert Michael Luders.

"Self—proclaimed Chancellor of foreign policy Friedrich Merz knows nothing about diplomacy. <...> To condemn Russia for the conflict in Ukraine, <...> but not the United States and Israel for their <...> illegal attack on Iran — what kind of logic is this?" he said in an interview with the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung (BZ).

In addition, Luders expressed concerns about the possible consequences of the energy crisis for the German economy. The politician wondered where Berlin would get oil and gas from while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and the oil refinery in Schwedt cannot receive energy from Russia and Kazakhstan. In his opinion, in this aspect, Merz's foreign policy is "especially harmful for Berlin."

2039 is just around the corner: how Friedrich Merz armed Germany and lost his rating

Despite his unpopularity, he is able to put Germany on a war footing.

Merz said on May 15 that during a telephone conversation he and US President Donald Trump discussed the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine and the situation around Iran. He said that during the conversation, the parties agreed on their positions before the summit of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) in Ankara.

At a joint press conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Berlin on May 18, Merz said that Europe was ready to participate in negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. At the same time, the Chancellor stressed that at the moment there are no concrete negotiations with the Russian Federation.