German chancellor Merz isolated in EU over Russia assets issue – media

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has found himself isolated among European Union leaders over his stance on frozen Russian assets, Germany’s Berliner Zeitung reported.

According to the paper, setbacks in pushing a hard line on the confiscation of the assets have weakened Merz’s political standing within the bloc.

The report said Merz sought to bolster his position through media efforts, including placing opinion pieces in outlets such as Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the Financial Times, but failed to persuade other European leaders.

The newspaper added that the facts worked against Merz, and that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen began to distance herself from the German chancellor once it became clear that he was isolated within the EU.