Merz made the pledge at a press conference in Berlin alongside Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, answering a question from Deutsche Welle. He said intensive consultations are under way with European partners as part of preparations for the next European Council meeting, scheduled for October 15-16 in Brussels.
The chancellor described air defense as the weakest point in Ukraine's defenses. He said he is personally negotiating with world leaders on deliveries of air defense systems to Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said Ukraine faces a shortfall of about $27 billion for military spending. Merz spoke of concrete support for the Ukrainian budget alongside air defense deliveries.
Merz also expressed hope that Ukraine's energy supply can be prepared for winter amid expectations of continued Russian bombardments of civilian infrastructure. He called such strikes war crimes that happen every day.
Tokayev said at the same press conference that he is concerned by what is happening in Ukraine and called for a freeze of hostilities, to be followed by a shift to diplomacy and negotiations. He said he was not talking about an immediate end to the war but specifically about a freeze, since a swift halt to fighting is unrealistic under current conditions.
The Kazakh leader noted that he has very good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and thanked him for listening to him on the war in Ukraine. In the summer, Tokayev publicly called for freezing the war and said he did not fully understand its causes. Putin promised at the time to inform him in detail about the Ukrainian track, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a freeze was impossible.
According to Merz, the topic of Russia's war against Ukraine was discussed intensively at the meeting with Tokayev. The chancellor said Germany is urging the Kremlin to sit down at the negotiating table and begin a serious dialogue on ending the war. If Moscow is not ready for this, Berlin will continue supporting Ukraine for a long time to come.
Russia will not win this war, Merz said, adding that Russia itself will suffer colossal damage, including in its economy. He mentioned a recent meeting in New York between German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and noted that Russia's reaction to it showed a lack of interest in serious negotiations at present.
The main topic of Tokayev's visit to Berlin was the development of economic ties, discussed at a German-Kazakh economic forum. Kazakhstan ranks fourth among oil suppliers to Germany after Norway, the United States and Libya. Trade between the two countries has nearly doubled over the past four years, to eight billion euros. Merz said he wants to continue discussing the replacement of Russian oil with Kazakh oil.