Putin labeled as war criminal by Merz for the first time.
In a tense exchange during a press conference following his visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel found themselves at odds over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Friedrich Merz, a prominent German politician, has predicted that the war in Ukraine will last a long time. Merkel, during the same press conference, stated that Putin sees no grounds for a ceasefire or peace agreement with Ukraine.
Putin, in response, interpreted the events of 2014, claiming that Western ministers signed an agreement between Ukrainian President Yanukovych and the opposition, but a "state coup" occurred the next day, and they did nothing. According to Putin, the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Donbass followed the "state coup".
Putin also commented on the allegations of Russia's war crimes, stating that Merkel previously spoke about such crimes but never used the phrase "war criminal" in relation to him personally. However, German politician Friedrich Merz has suggested that Putin may be a war criminal on a large scale.
In a defensive move, Dmitry Peskov, Russian President's press secretary, commented that Merkel has made a lot of unfriendly statements about Putin recently.
Merkel further proposed imposing tariffs on those who continue to develop trade relations with Russia to weaken the Russian economy. This suggestion comes as a response to Russia's ongoing involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
Putin, on the other hand, claims that all Russia's attempts to resolve the issues peacefully, including through the Minsk agreements, were thwarted by Ukraine and the West. The future of the Ukraine conflict and the relationship between Putin and Merkel remains uncertain.
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