For the leader of the opposition, German Ukraine policy offers several targets for attack.
However, using this to the full is prohibited for a number of reasons.
During his visit to Poland and Lithuania, Friedrich Merz is not only Olaf Scholz's opponent, but also Germany's ambassador.
From the West's perspective, both countries, including Latvia and Estonia, are only now what they have always been from their own perspective: frontline states in the conflict with Russia.
The fact that Merz assures them that they can feel safe in this role alongside Germany are tones that did not sound very credible in the long years of CDU chairmen Kohl and Merkel.
Don't become a plaything of expectations
Merz fulfills a certain CDU pent-up demand, perhaps not quite as urgently as the SPD chairman, but just as appropriate.
A third point concerns the direct support of Poland and Ukraine in the war against Russia, i.e. the arms deliveries.
It may be that a Jamaican coalition would have dealt with it in a more united and sovereign manner.
Germany's reputation would then be more important in Eastern Europe.
In Warsaw, however, Merz also had to take into account that a secondary foreign policy in this matter cannot hit the drum.
He would make the same mistake that he criticizes in Olaf Scholz, namely becoming the plaything of expectations that Berlin cannot or does not want to meet.
This is the downside of the need to catch up.