German Chancellor candidate who is likely to win: "We will not be neutral towards Russia. We will not stand in the middle. We stand with Ukraine. Together with Ukraine, we will defend today's Europe"

During a live election debate, German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz (CDU/CSU) shut down his far-right opponent Alice Weidel (AfD) over her pro-Russian stance:

"No, Frau Weidel, we will not be neutral towards Russia. We will not stand in the middle. We stand with Ukraine. Together with Ukraine, we will defend today's Europe, and we will do everything to ensure that people like you do not determine its policies."

Weidel and the AfD have openly called for restoring strong ties with Russia and bringing Russian gas back to Germany.