German chancellor-hopeful Merz to meet Vance in Munich

BERLIN (Reuters) - German opposition leader and chancellor-hopeful Friedrich Merz is scheduled to meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, a party spokesperson said on Wednesday.

In addition to Vance, Merz will also hold bilateral talks with high-level officials including China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, hold parliamentary elections on February 23.

The Merz-led conservative bloc is leading in the polls with surveys suggesting it could secure twice as many votes as Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats.

Merz has affirmed his commitment to supporting Ukraine, a stance Germany has maintained since Russia's attack on the country nearly three years ago.

World political and military leaders will convene in Munich from Friday to Sunday, hoping to gain a clearer understanding of the Trump administration's strategy regarding the war in Ukraine.

Politico was the first to report the planned meeting between Merz and Vance.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, writing by Kirsti Knolle; editing by Matthias Williams)