Russia exploiting weaknesses of European democracies, says German FM
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, in his speech marking the 75th anniversary of Germany's membership in the Council of Europe, accused Russia of trying to exploit "the weak points of European democracies," according to La Repubblica.
"Russia seeks to exploit the weaknesses of our democracies and the vulnerabilities of our societies by spreading conspiracy theories, undermining our democratic systems, and deepening divisions among our peoples," Wadephul said.
Germany's foreign minister added that Russian President Vladimir Putin "denies his own citizens even the most basic democratic rights and the protections of the European Convention on Human Rights." That is why, he said, Council of Europe members decided to expel Russia in March 2022 — just a month after it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"Our democratic freedoms are our strength. That is why they are under attack like never before. And that is exactly why we must protect them," Wadephul emphasized.
Earlier, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated that Europe is in talks with the United States on how to further increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
