OMM Redaksiyası
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has linked Germany’s declining economic competitiveness to the country’s decision to stop purchasing cheap Russian gas and switch to more expensive supplies from other countries, particularly the United States.
Speaking at a briefing on Monday, Peskov said Moscow had noted low approval ratings for Germany’s current government and data indicating a decline in the competitiveness of its economy, according to the source report.
“We also observe that the decline in the competitiveness of the German economy is largely due to the fact that Germany has stopped purchasing cheap Russian gas and has begun buying very expensive gas – sometimes several times more costly – on the spot market from other countries, primarily the United States,” he said.
German parties face changing voter support
Peskov said some Germans were seeking an alternative to the current leadership in an effort to improve their economic situation.
His comments came after Germany’s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party won a second state election on Sunday in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, two weeks after securing a record victory in Saxony-Anhalt.
Support for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union fell below 5%, preventing the party from entering a German state parliament for the first time. In Berlin, the Left Party won the state election with about 25.3% of the vote, ahead of the CDU on 19%.
Russia rejects claims of threats against France
On France, Peskov rejected recent comments by Marine Le Pen, a presidential candidate for the country’s right-wing National Rally, that Russia could no longer influence French politics through threats.
“We disagree with this statement. Russia does not threaten either France or any other European state,” Peskov said, adding that Moscow “does not threaten or blackmail anyone.”
Moscow says sanctions will not revive ties
Regarding US President Donald Trump’s latest sanctions package targeting Russia, Peskov said Moscow remained in contact with its trading partners, who had expressed opposition to possible secondary sanctions.
He said the measures would not help revive bilateral relations or advance efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine.
Peskov added that Russia had adapted to more than 30,000 sanctions imposed by various countries and had found ways to minimise their negative effects.
