Merz also reaffirmed Germany's support for Ukraine. His remarks linked the war and threats elsewhere in Europe through the question of collective security, without announcing a specific new retaliation mechanism.
The warning from Münster
Reuters reported Merz's warning about additional attacks of considerable severity. Earlier official remarks during a visit to the German Netherlands Corps emphasized military strength, resilience and the role of NATO in defending European security.
The two appearances form part of the same day's political message, but should not be collapsed into a single quotation. The official morning statement supplies context for the later warning; Reuters provides the reported wording of that warning.
What hybrid attacks can involve
The term covers methods that can put pressure on a country without taking the form of a conventional military offensive. In the German and wider European debate, these include sabotage, cyberattacks, arson and certain drone operations.
Attribution remains essential. A suspicious drone sighting or a computer outage is not automatically a Russian operation. Determining responsibility requires evidence about the incident, its perpetrators and any direction or support behind them. Merz's general warning cannot settle every individual investigation.
Resilience alongside military defense
Responding to these threats involves more than armed forces. Police, intelligence services, cybersecurity authorities and operators of important infrastructure have different responsibilities, while NATO provides the collective defense framework.
Merz's official remarks stressed Germany's cooperation with the Netherlands and other allies. That cooperation is relevant because an incident can affect transport, communications or security across borders. His speech reinforced an existing emphasis on preparedness, rather than setting out a new agency or a detailed operational plan.
Ukraine remains central
Merz presented support for Ukraine as connected to the security of Germany and its European neighbors. He also described stable future relations with Russia as dependent on Moscow ending the war and ceasing hybrid attacks, according to Reuters.
Moscow rejects Western accusations that it conducts such operations. No specific new Russian response to this speech was identified in the research. The immediate development is Germany's public warning that it expects continued pressure and intends to maintain its support for Ukraine, while the nature of any response will depend on the incidents and evidence involved.
