DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) -German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Europe "is not at war ... but no longer at peace" with Russia.
"Let me put it in a sentence that may be a little shocking at first glance ... we are not at war, but we are no longer at peace either," Merz said at a media event in Duesseldorf.
Russia's war is "a war against our democracy and a war against our freedom," Merz said, adding that Moscow's intention was to undermine unity in the bloc.
He also referred to his recent endorsement of an EU plan to unlock frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine's war effort, saying the move could provide military support for Ukraine for three to five years.
Merz said within that time period it could become economically untenable for Russia to continue its war on Ukraine.
(Reporting by Matthias Inverardi, Writing by Friederike Heine; Editing by Stephen Coates)
