Putin 'has been testing the limits,' Germany's Merz warns

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday urged Europe not to allow Russia to determine the terms of a peace deal in Ukraine, warning that doing so would only embolden President Vladimir Putin "to search for his next target."

"Putin has been testing the limits for a long time," Merz said in parliament as he was addressing lawmakers as part of budget week.

"He sabotages, he spies, he murders, he tries to unsettle people."

Merz said this had been evident in Poland last week, when Russian drones violated the country's airspace and were shot down above its territory for the first time.

Putin was also looking to destabilize German society, the chancellor warned.

"We will not allow that to happen," Merz stressed, adding that Germany was strengthening its resilience and defence capabilities for that very reason.

"We must deter our opponents from further aggression and at the same time bring allies and partners closer together," he said.

Germany has been one of Ukraine's strongest backers in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion. According to Defence Minister Boris Pistorius last week, the country has since surpassed the US and is now the biggest supplier of military aid.