Merz charges that Putin is waging a ‘hybrid war’ on Germany

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of waging a “hybrid war” on Germany.

“He is waging an information war against us. He is waging a military war against Ukraine and this war is directed against all of us,” Merz told German broadcaster ntv on Monday.

Merz charged that the Russian President wants to turn Europe’s political order upside down.

“And that’s why we support Ukraine,” Merz explained, adding that it is in Germany’s interest to defend the political order of open, liberal societies in Europe.

When asked specifically whether Putin was waging war against Germany, Merz said: “He is waging a hybrid war against us.”

With regard to an increase in drone incidents in Germany and across Europe, Merz said: “We know the threat,” noting that Putin wants to intimidate and instil fear.

“We will not be intimidated and we will also defend ourselves effectively against this threat,” Merz asserted.

When asked whether he had considered calling Putin, Merz said that “of course I am considering it.”

He added: “I can only see that every attempt to talk to him at the moment is ending in even tougher attacks on Ukraine.”

The German chancellor that he had a rather heated discussion about this with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at an EU meeting in Copenhagen last week. “He accused us of not wanting to negotiate.”

Merz replied by pointing out to Hungarian president that Orbán himself had been in Kiev in July of last year as EU Council President and then in Moscow. “And Putin’s response was to bomb a children’s hospital in Kiev.”