Germany Merz accuses Putin of serious war crimes in Ukraine
Following the missile strike against the city of Sumy in north-eastern Ukraine, Friedrich Merz, who is likely to become Chancellor, has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of serious war crimes. "This is clearly a war crime, and a serious war crime," said the CDU chairman on the ARD program "Caren Miosga".
14.04.2025, 03:47
SDA
"That was only part of what happened today," Merz continued. "There were two waves of attacks, and the second came when the helpers were trying to help the victims. The perfidy of this can no longer be surpassed. And that is a deliberate and intentional serious war crime."
More than 30 dead in Russian missile strike against Sumy
More than 30 people were killed in the Russian air strike with ballistic missiles against the city of Sumy on Palm Sunday. More than 100 civilians were injured. President Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced on Telegram that two children were among the dead. There were 34 dead, the authorities announced. Among the 117 injured were 15 children.
Merz continued: "I say to all those who naively call on Putin in Germany to come to the conference table: This is the answer. This is what Putin does to those who talk to him about a ceasefire." Apparently, Putin interprets the willingness to talk to him not as a serious offer to facilitate peace, but as weakness.
During his time as an opposition politician, Merz had shown himself to be open to a delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. When asked whether this still applies, he said on ARD: "Yes, I said it exactly as I meant it. Not that we are intervening in this war ourselves, but that we are equipping the Ukrainian army with such weapons." When asked, Merz added that he had always said that he would only do this in coordination with his European partners. "This must be coordinated, and if it is coordinated, then Germany should participate."
