Europe is at a crossroads.
Germany is pushing for an urgent action plan to reshape Europe's security in the face of Russia's increasingly aggressive moves.
On Friday last week, a difficult meeting took place between Washington and Kiev.
Trump and Zelenskyy were expected to sign a mining agreement for peace in Ukraine.
However, the sides failed to reach a clear compromise.
Moreover, the results of the meeting pushed Ukraine and Europe to take new actions.
In particular, the reported tension between Trump and Ukraine's President Zelensky and Washington's sometimes ambiguous stance further strengthened Europe's view that we have to take care of ourselves.
Germany has therefore called for urgent action against Russian President Vladimir Putin's moves.
The Russia Ukraine war is considered one of the biggest security crises the European continent has faced since the Second World War.
As a possible German chancellor, Merz's leadership in this crisis will therefore be of great importance for the whole of Europe.
Given Germany's economic and political weight, the steps taken by the Berlin administration have the power to influence and steer other European Union member states.
Merz is committed to strengthening Europe's geostrategic position and making it more resilient to crises and advocates deepening defense cooperation within the European Union.
We can no longer close our eyes, Europe's security is under threat, said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Berlin.
And this is not just a diplomatic outburst, in response to the concerns raised by the Trump Zelensky escalation, Baerbock called on the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization to act simultaneously to create a defense fund.
Moreover, he stressed that an emergency aid package of three billion euros for Ukraine should be approved immediately.
If we do not stop Putin, there will be consequences, he warned both the European Union and NATO.
So what is going on and why is Germany so insistent?
Are tensions with Russia approaching a new threshold?
We will now take a closer look at how Germany's insistent call is being received within the European Union and NATO, from France's nuclear proposal to the United States ambiguous stance.