KYIV, May 6 – Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze (European Solidarity faction) expects that the new German government headed by Friedrich Merz will take leadership in the European Union and increase support for Ukraine, particularly in the military sector.

"Sure, expectations are extremely high. The responsibility of the new government is extremely important from the point of view of the development of Germany itself and the unification of society around values, countering Russian influences, Russian support for radical right-wing and radical left-wing political forces and movements... And we, Ukrainians, count on the new government to be even more ready to provide direct, directly increased support to Ukraine, including primarily in the military sector, to take on value leadership in the EU in order to maximally unite the member states of the European Union in further concrete steps to build a new system of defense capabilities and security in Europe, of which Ukraine is a part," Klympush-Tsintsadze told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

She said the responsibility of the new German government covers not only economic and social aspects, but also extremely high requirements for it in security matters. According to the politician, it is about the need to strengthen the defense capabilities of both Germany itself and its role as part of the North Atlantic Alliance and the pan-European security space.

"The election of Friedrich Merz as Chancellor of Germany is certainly extremely important news for both Germany itself and the European Union, for the wider democratic world and, of course, for Ukraine... The fact that this election took place on the second attempt for the first time in the history of Germany after successful coalition negotiations has become a kind of spoonful of tar in a barrel of honey of expectations and high hopes that are placed on the new government, which should now be formed by the new Chancellor," Klympush-Tsintsadze said. (om/ez)