The German government has decided on punitive measures against Russia in response to the drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Vladimir Putin regards the sanctions as a ‘serious mistake’ and apparently accuses Germany of falsifying evidence. The incident had previously heightened fears of a new form of confrontation with Russia.
Putin said at a press conference in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) after the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO): ‘Where is the evidence?’ He dismissed previously presented evidence as ‘fabricated’. The reaction of the German government under Friedrich Merz was primarily motivated by domestic politics.
Earlier, Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) had blamed Russia for the drone incident and announced punitive measures. Wadephul said that, for example, the Russian consulate in Bonn should be closed. In addition, the contract for the Russian House in Berlin would be terminated.
The government holds Russia responsible for the hybrid attack in Leipzig. Findings point to Russian involvement. Wadephul and Dobrindt announced measures against Moscow.
Russia’s ambassador Sergey Nechayev also dismissed the accusations as ‘absurd’. Berlin had not provided evidence for its allegations, and they also contradicted common sense, Nechayev said according to a statement from the embassy. He had previously been summoned to the Foreign Office.
Nechayev said that all employees of the Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House, as well as their family members, had been asked to leave the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany as quickly as possible.
The German side described these steps as a ‘measured and proportionate’ reaction and expressed the expectation that the Russian side would refrain from countermeasures.
According to the statement, the ambassador declared that the measures announced by the German side ‘represent an unprecedented escalation in Russian-German relations and will not remain without consequences’. The German government alone bore responsibility for this.
Source: www.zdfheute.de
