German Chancellor outlines how Russia could be punished for breaking ceasefire
Photo: Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor (Getty Images)
Germany and its partners have agreed to exhaust all possibilities in imposing sanctions against Russia over its refusal to establish a ceasefire, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an interview with ZEIT.
Merz says that, at the level of heads of state and government, they had agreed that all possibilities must now be exhausted. He stated that they were discussing further sanctions in the energy and banking sectors, additional measures on assets, and sanctions against individuals, and that they were working on this with their European partners.
Answering the question of whether it was a question of confiscation of Russia's frozen assets, he says that this issue is currently being clarified. According to him, if it is possible to mobilize funds on a purely legal basis, Germany will do so.
He explains that they must also realize the risks that such a step entails for the European financial market.
Sanctions against Russia
Recently, Russia's Vladimir Putin declared Russia's readiness to resume negotiations with Ukraine and proposed a meeting of delegations on May 15 in Istanbul. At the same time, he opposed the proposal of the West and Ukraine for a 30-day truce.
After that, Western countries threatened the Kremlin with consequences for its refusal. For example, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Moscow could face large-scale sanctions. Merz, in turn, threatened sanctions if there is no progress in resolving the war in Ukraine by the end of the week.
