I'm John Batchel with my colleague and friend Judy Dempsey of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a senior scholar.

She's in Berlin.

And Germany is first among equals in the European Union and in NATO for support and much to say about Ukraine conflict. I mentioned this because right now

of the situation throughout the European Union, it's very difficult to discern what is expected

for the new president, the new president who was a former president, Mr. Trump, after January 20th,

and between now and January 20th, Mr. Biden's participation in the Ukraine war.

There's a mixed picture here.

Over these last days, there have been to list what appears to be provocation.

North Korean troops reported in the Kersk Salient, recruiting of Yemeni, Houthi troops to fight in Ukraine

by the Russian Federation in exchange for better anti-ship missiles into the hands of the Houthis to continue to

strangle the Red Sea basin for global commerce. There's also been the matter of missiles

being exchanged. Atackham's high-performance, extremely sophisticated weapon system given to Ukraine

with the restriction of range, the range now being lifted,

the response, a hypersonic ICBM, so called, fired by Russia into Ukraine.

And there are other threats that go on in all directions about what comes next.

So I understand the U.S. is of necessity of several minds because

we're living with two presidents, one perspective, one factual. Germany also is much in tumult

because the presumption is there will be new elections in February with a vote of no confidence

of Mr. Schultz coming in December.

So what is the Ukraine war in Germany now to the parties that are most dominant?

That would be the Christian Democrats led by Mr. Merz and the socialist.

Well, I don't really know who's number two.

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