Merz Pledges“Swift Response” To Russian Hybrid Attacks

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) He made the statement in an interview with ARD on August 30, Ukrinform reports, citing DW.

“We have reached broad agreement within the government on how to respond, and we will make this clear in the coming days,” the chancellor said.

Asked whether Germany would actually be able to respond appropriately if Russia were behind the attack, Merz replied:“Let's wait and see what an 'appropriate response' means.”

The chancellor also stressed that Germany's response had been coordinated with the European Union and NATO allies.“Our partners in the European Union and NATO will not be surprised,” the German leader said.

Earlier, Politico reported that Germany was preparing to explicitly blame Russia for attempting to carry out a drone attack on a cargo aircraft at Leipzig Airport and announce“far-reaching” sanctions.

According to sources cited by DW, the German government's plan includes direct measures against Russian legal entities, while the EU is also moving toward new sanctions currently being developed in Brussels.

One source said that in response to the drone incident in Leipzig, it would no longer be enough to expel individual Russian diplomats or close the Russian House in Berlin. Tougher measures would be needed, such as tightening sanctions or even significantly increasing arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Merz previously said the Leipzig incident would have serious consequences.

“The drone attack in Leipzig, among other things, shows that we are facing very real threats. The federal government will make those responsible for hybrid attacks pay,” he said.

Media investigations have linked the foiled attack at Leipzig Airport to Russia. According to German media reports, a drone equipped with explosives was intended to strike a Ukrainian cargo aircraft. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. intelligence assessments directly link Russia to the attack.

Read also: Russian-recruited Ukrainian suspected of setting up weapons cache near Berlin – media

The incident also has parallels with a series of acts of sabotage targeting European air-freight services in 2024, which Russian intelligence services are suspected of carrying out.

The report notes that it remains unclear what new information has prompted Germany to directly blame Russia. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said earlier this month that“the key is to have the necessary evidence or a very strong suspicion.”

The discovery of a weapons cache near Berlin also played a role in Germany's policy shift. In October last year, German domestic intelligence agents discovered an underground weapons cache in a forest near Müggelsee Lake containing two semi-automatic firearms. There was speculation that the weapons might have been intended for use in attacks in Berlin and that the involvement of foreign states could not be ruled out.

According to three EU diplomats, the issue of Russia's responsibility for incidents across Europe is to be discussed at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Ireland. One of the sources said that 1,600 new individuals and entities are currently being considered for sanctions, including 800 Russian individuals and 800 companies. The sanctions are expected to be adopted in mid-October.

Another diplomat said the use of frozen assets belonging to Russian state-owned banks was once again on the agenda, although this would be a long-term process and Belgium would need to be persuaded.

“The strategy is to do everything possible. We are using every possible sanctions regime,” the EU diplomat said.

As reported, Germany is considering closing the Russian House in Berlin over Russian hybrid attacks, including the drone incident at Leipzig Airport in early August. In light of Russia's actions against German cultural intermediaries and organizations, as well as its increasingly aggressive hybrid activity, the German government is conducting a comprehensive review of the legal and contractual basis for the Russian House's continued operation.

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