Merz: Germany's policy on Russia unchanged despite unpopularity

Moscow (ANTARA) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said his government’s policy towards Russia will remain unchanged, even though it is considered unpopular and is affecting the ratings of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.

“I will not change my fundamental conviction by an inch that we must now defend our freedom, including from Russia. I may have to explain this position far more often and far more intensively,” the chancellor said at a press conference in Berlin on Monday.

The statement was made amid suggestions that German parties supporting anti-Russia policies risk becoming a minority in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, following the victory of the right-wing opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the election.

He also added that he had deliberately moved quickly to point the finger at Russia over the drone incident at Leipzig Airport, because he “did not want to wait any longer to convey this information to the public.”

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Germany has no evidence of any threat from Russia, and linked the accusations against Moscow over the drone incident in Leipzig to the difficult domestic political situation in Germany.

The Saxony-Anhalt state parliamentary election was held on Sunday, with the AfD winning 43.8 per cent of the vote, while the CDU came a distant second with 17.2 per cent.

The newspaper Bild reported that the local election in Saxony-Anhalt could mark the beginning of the end of Merz’s government in Berlin and raise questions about his early resignation.

Source: Sputnik