German Chancellor Merz called Putin “the worst war criminal”

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s press secretary, commented on September 3, 2025, on the recent statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, stating that they should not be taken into account.

He noted that Merz made many “unpleasant” statements about the Russian president.

Just the day before, the German chancellor called Putin a “war criminal,” adding that he might be “the worst war criminal of our time.” Merz emphasized the need for a tough approach to war criminals, asserting that “there is no place for leniency here.” Additionally, he expressed distrust in Putin’s claims, calling for increased economic pressure on Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine. According to Merz, the current position of the Russian president does not imply readiness for peace or a ceasefire.

Removing Putin from the diplomatic circle and creating the necessary conditions for peace negotiations, according to the German chancellor, is extremely important. Merz added that this would be difficult from a military standpoint but feasible economically. He proposed imposing tariffs on goods from countries that continue to interact with Russia.

It should be noted that Merz had previously criticized Russia, accusing it of committing “serious war crimes” and “terrorism against the civilian population,” although such accusations against Putin were made by him for the first time, according to the German weekly “Spiegel.”

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