Frankfurt (Germany), Sept. 2 (LaPresse) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has launched a strong attack against Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. In an interview with Sat.1, Merz called Putin “a war criminal—perhaps the worst war criminal of our time, on a large scale.” The comments, reported by DPA, mark a significant escalation in Merz's rhetoric. “We must be clear about how we deal with war criminals. In this context, any leniency is misplaced,” he added. While Merz had previously accused Russia of war crimes and terrorism against civilians, this is the first time he has personally labeled Putin as the most serious war criminal of our era. The statement was made in response to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who recently called Putin a “predator” during a visit to Poland.
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