The Social Democrats (SPD) are demanding a decisive response from the European Union following the attempted drone attack on the Halle/Leipzig airport, which investigators suspect is linked to Russia. Adis Ahmetovic, the SPD’s spokesperson for foreign policy, told Der Spiegel that if it is confirmed that Russia was behind the hybrid drone attack on Leipzig, a unified European response is necessary. According to the SPD representative, the possible measures under consideration include closing the Russian House in Berlin or implementing sanctions against the “shadow fleet.” He emphasized that hybrid attacks on national territory must be answered with resolve.
However, Ahmetovic also stressed that the German government must react cautiously, cautioning that the “spiral of escalation” should not be allowed to intensify. He added that alongside firmness and resolve, diplomatic efforts are essential to prevent further increasing escalations.
Currently, the German government has not officially attributed the attempted explosive attack on August 4th. However, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) recently announced that an attribution would be made promptly. Should Germany determine that Russia is responsible for the incident, this is expected to coincide with the imposition of new sanctions against Moscow.
