Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul of the CDU views the newly announced sanctions against Russia as representative of the “turning point” that has been underway for some time. Speaking to ARD Tagesthemen on Tuesday, he expressed unhappiness with Russia’s “hostile course” toward both Europe and Germany.
Regarding specific actions, Wadephul stated that the Russian government is exploiting the closure of the General Consulate in Bonn, adding that they are “not entirely sure that anything is being done from there that could harm German security.” Furthermore, concerning the Russian House in Berlin, the Minister said it “no longer maintains the purpose of a cultural connection between Russia and Germany.”
When asked about the measures taken against the shadow fleet, the Foreign Minister replied, “Concretely, this doesn’t mean anything yet, but we are increasing the pressure.” Overall, he characterized the response as “a clear, hard, but not excessive reaction.” Finally, addressing why Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU was not present during the announcement of the sanctions, Wadephul stated this was “an expression of the appropriateness of our reaction.”
