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Germany plans to blame Russia for Leipzig attack as tensions with Putin escalate
politico.eu • • world
Key Points:
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to hold Russia responsible for the attempted drone attack in Leipzig and announce "extensive" sanctions against Russian entities, signaling a tougher stance by Berlin toward Moscow.
- The announcement is expected early next week, coinciding with an EU foreign ministers’ meeting, where the EU is also preparing a broad sanctions package targeting around 800 Russian individuals and 800 companies.
- The drone attack, aimed at a Ukrainian cargo plane, is linked by German media and U.S. intelligence to Russia, marking a significant escalation in Berlin’s response to hybrid warfare tactics attributed to Moscow.
- Recent security incidents across NATO countries, including sabotage attempts and weapons caches found in Germany, have heightened tensions and contributed to calls for stronger punitive measures against Russia.
- The EU is considering expanding sanctions significantly and debating the potential use of frozen Russian state bank assets, although this faces political resistance, particularly from Belgium.
