Putin is betting on fear paralyzing Europe, but he is miscalculating - Merz
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Europe is strengthening its defense capabilities amid threats from the Russian Federation.
As Censor.NET reports with reference to Ukrinform, he stated this in a government statement in the Bundestag dedicated to the upcoming meeting of the European Council, which will be held on October 23-24.
"Putin is betting that fear will paralyze a free society and undermine our determination to act. But he is calculating: we will not allow ourselves to be intimidated. We will not allow our free society to be destabilized by hybrid attacks. We will defend ourselves - now and in the future," the Chancellor emphasized.
Merz noted that Europe is strengthening its defense, but it is worth understanding: Germany, the European Union and NATO do not threaten anyone.
"We are witnessing an attack of intimidation... For the past three and a half years, only Putin has posed a security threat on the European continent - he is dangerous, he is waging a brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, a war that is taking human lives every day. It is Russia that is increasingly shamelessly trying to destabilize us - in Germany and in Europe - with the means of hybrid warfare: sabotage, cyberattacks, targeted disinformation, espionage and even assassinations," he added, recalling that drones have been violating European airspace more and more often in recent weeks.
According to the Chancellor, the European Council plans to discuss the 19th package of sanctions against Russia in order to further increase pressure on the aggressor country "and finally force it to sit down at the negotiating table with Ukraine."
"Putin must understand that this war will cost him more than a negotiated peace. But for now, Putin does not want negotiations, he wants to continue the bombing," he concluded.
