Kremlin Dismisses Merz After 'Most Serious War Criminal' Remarks About Putin
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sharply condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions in Ukraine, calling him “perhaps the most serious war criminal of our time,” to which the Kremlin responded by saying that his views on peace talks were being ignored.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Spiegel and Reuters.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for his actions in the war in Ukraine. In an interview with Sat.1-Television, he called Putin a “war criminal” and “perhaps the most serious war criminal of our time.”
“And we simply have to be clear about how to deal with war criminals. There is no room for leniency here,” said the German chancellor.
Merz has previously accused Russia of “serious war crimes” and “terrorism against the civilian population,” but his personal description of Putin is new and much harsher.
The chancellor stressed that there is no reason to trust Putin, who is currently not interested in a ceasefire or a peace agreement with Ukraine. He noted that while this is difficult to achieve militarily, it is economically possible to create conditions that will limit Russia's ability to sustain its war economy.
“In this context, I am talking about economic exhaustion, which we must contribute to,” Merz stressed.
In response, the Kremlin stated that Merz's views on peace talks in Ukraine were irrelevant due to his offensive remarks about the Russian president.
Asked about a proposal from Merz that Geneva should be the venue for Ukraine-Russia peace talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated: “Merz has made a lot of unfavorable statements in recent hours, so it's hardly possible to take his opinion into account at the moment.”
The Kremlin continues to deny any war crimes committed by its forces in Ukraine and calls the arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court in 2023 on charges of kidnapping hundreds of children from Ukraine “outrageous.”
As The Gaze informed earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that Russia’s war against Ukraine could drag on for a long time, but stressed it must not be concluded through Ukraine’s surrender.