German Chancellor Calls to Cripple Russian Economy to Force Putin into Ending Ukraine Conflict

Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany, made a series of statements directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin. He argued that Putin has no current motivation to end the conflict in Ukraine and urged the West to create such conditions by targeting the Russian economy. The remarks triggered a strong backlash from Moscow, while in France, Merz was called a “madman.”

Merz Calls for Economic Exhaustion of Russia

The German Chancellor admitted that forcing a settlement militarily would be “difficult” but insisted that Russia’s economic foundation could be weakened to deprive Moscow of the ability to sustain its “war economy.”

“In this context, I speak of economic exhaustion, which we must help bring about.” — Friedrich Merz

Merz also addressed the potential deployment of Western troops to Ukraine, stressing that it could only be considered after a ceasefire and even then only under “significant conditions.”

Moscow’s Harsh Response

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dismissed Merz’s proposal, questioning Germany’s capacity to carry out such an economic strategy.

“Herr Merz, you don’t have the strength for exhaustion.” — Maria Zakharova

Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov also rejected Merz’s comments, stressing they were not relevant to serious discussions on resolving the Ukrainian conflict.

“Merz has made a number of inappropriate statements about President Putin. It is unlikely that his opinion can be taken into account at this moment.” — Dmitry Peskov

France Labels Merz a 'Madman'

In France, Florian Philippot, leader of the Patriots party, sharply criticized Merz, calling his remarks against Putin a sign of madness.

“The German Chancellor Merz (...) a fit of madness!” — Florian Philippot

Philippot suggested that such statements by European politicians, in tandem with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, are intended to provoke the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine.