Morning Briefing: Europa leistet sich noch immer zu viele Putinversteher
Berlin benennt Moskau als Verursacher eines hybriden Krieges. Die Worte sind stark, die Konsequenzen so mittel – das liegt auch an den fadenscheinigen Sanktionen Europas.
Good morning, esteemed readers. The fine line between composure and helplessness is stark in international politics, a lesson the German government is learning amid Russia's hybrid attacks. Yesterday, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul blamed Russia for a suspected drone attack on Leipzig Airport.
Dobrindt stated that Berlin's response should convey the gravity of the attacks while avoiding escalation: "They will pay for this," Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) warned the perpetrators of Leipzig a week ago. Now, the bill falls, at least initially, within reach: the closure of the Russian residence in Berlin, the appointment of the ambassador, and harsher measures against the shadow fleet.
But will the promise of lost cultural exchange with German civil society lull Vladimir Putin into a false sense of security? Two things now determine whether Moscow interprets the response as Merz intended.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
