Merz warned of new hybrid attacks by Russia and promised support for Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Friedrich Merz said that Germany was preparing for new hybrid attacks by Russia. He promised to support Ukraine ahead of a harsh winter.
On Thursday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that Germany is facing a growing number of hybrid attacks from Russia and promised to continue supporting Ukraine ahead of what is likely to be the harshest winter since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
The publication notes that German authorities have repeatedly warned that Russia is waging a hybrid campaign involving drone attacks and cyberattacks, accusing Moscow of being involved in an attempted drone attack on Leipzig Airport in August.
"We are preparing for new hybrid attacks, including serious ones," Merz said during a speech at the presentation of the 2026 Westphalian Peace Prize to the NATO Alliance.
Moscow rejects the accusations made by Western governments and intelligence services.
Meanwhile, speaking on Thursday at a forum of experts on Russia, dictator Vladimir Putin said that Moscow does not intend to attack foreign factories producing weapons for Ukraine, but that Russian special services must closely monitor this area.
Merz’s position and that of his conservative political force weakened significantly after elections in two eastern German states last month, in which the far-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) won.
The AfD criticizes Germany and its Western allies for providing billions of euros in military aid to Ukraine. The party seeks to restore relations with Moscow and resume supplies of cheap oil and gas, which were halted in 2022.
In addition
Merz said that Germany wants to restore "stable, predictable relations with Russia" at the right moment, adding that there are currently no signs that Moscow is ready to end the war in Ukraine.
"We do not seek to humiliate the Russian people or destabilize the Russian state. But Russia must end the war and refrain from hybrid attacks on Europe," he said.
Merz, who initiated the allocation of hundreds of billions of euros to rebuild Germany’s armed forces, noted that Ukraine is likely facing its harshest winter since Russia’s invasion and that Germany, as the most powerful state in Central Europe, bears a special responsibility to provide assistance. "We are not mediators; we stand on the side of freedom, and that is why we stand with Ukraine."
Merz said that Germany and its allies cannot allow themselves to be divided by hybrid attacks, social media campaigns, or the "slogans of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and its Russian patrons."
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