Following the alleged drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the chair of the Defence Committee in the European Parliament (FDP), are demanding a strong reaction against Russia.
Kiesewetter told the “Handelsblatt” that the goal of potential measures must be to exert maximal effective pressure on Russia. He stated that the Federal Government must abandon the “politically convenient path of appeasement” and clearly acknowledge that Russia views itself as being at war with Europe. Furthermore, he called for the activation of Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which mandates consultation among allies when facing an external threat. Kiesewetter also demanded stricter controls over Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
He further called for Germany to train Ukrainian soldiers to use the Bundeswehr’s Taurus cruise missiles and deliver these weapons to Ukraine, describing this as a “particularly effective and credible response.” Kiesewetter also insisted that the Russian embassy (Russian House) in Berlin must be closed immediately, adding that this alone would not suffice as a response to “Russia’s state terrorism, which could have had catastrophic consequences.”
Strack-Zimmermann called for a European sanctions regime that has an automated response mechanism for acts of sabotage. According to her comments to the “Handelsblatt”, Europe should not wait for a 22nd sanctions package to be delivered “at a leisurely pace.” She emphasized that deterrence only works if the cost is established before the drone flies, not afterward. Additionally, she stressed that the EU must utilize the frozen Russian state assets for the benefit of Ukraine, a goal that faced resistance from Belgium and other nations during a December EU Council meeting.
