German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused lawmakers from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party of maintaining close ties with Moscow and mocking Ukraine’s suffering during a heated exchange in parliament. Speaking in the Bundestag on Thursday, Merz was defending Germany’s support for Ukraine when laughter reportedly came from the AfD benches after he said Kyiv had been fighting for its freedom for more than four years.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “You laugh at the fate of millions of people in this country and travel to Moscow for champagne receptions. Have a good trip there,” he added. AfD has frequently criticized military aid for Kyiv and called for restoring relations with Moscow, positions that have drawn criticism from mainstream German parties. Merz defends support for Ukraine The chancellor used his government policy speech ahead of next week’s EU summit to reaffirm Berlin’s commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. “Ukraine is defending not only its freedom but also our freedom,” Merz said. “It is defending freedom and security throughout Europe.” He added that Germany would continue strengthening NATO’s eastern flank while supporting efforts to reach a negotiated end to the war. According to Merz, any durable peace settlement would require the participation of Ukraine, Russia, the US and Europe. Chancellor backs closer EU ties for Ukraine Merz also reiterated support for Ukraine’s future integration into the EU.