The German Frau announced that Putin is no longer a partner for the West
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been a partner for Western countries for a long time, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
She said this in an interview with the German newspaper Bild , commenting on the results of the presidential elections in the Russian Federation.
“He has not been a partner for a long time,” von der Leyen said.
At the same time, when asked whether she considers Putin an enemy, the German politician said that she “would not go that far, since it would slam the doors” (to contacts) and lead to even greater confrontation.
According to the minister, “we should also not stoop to Putin’s level and repeat his reactions in response, but we must take our own measures that will force the Russian leader to be more constructive.” In particular, in her opinion, if the Kremlin’s involvement in the Salisbury poisoning is clearly proven, new sanctions against Russia “would be one of the possibilities.”
According to von der Leyen, Putin “constantly provokes, inflames and destabilizes, provoking crises.” She condemned his role in the conflict in Syria.
The official representative of the German Ministry of Defense, Jens Flosdorff, on Monday was unable to answer journalists’ questions about what status Putin occupies. According to him, it is important for Germany that it will have to jointly resolve many conflicts in the world. On the one hand, we must look critically at what the Russian leader is doing; on the other hand, we must remain in dialogue and try to look for common solutions, he said. Flosdorff recalled that the 2016 White Paper on Defense stated that the Kremlin’s policy has been a challenge to Germany for many years; this assessment has not changed.
A German woman declared that Putin is no longer a partner for the West.