Merz: Germany is not going to underestimate Russia's endurance

Germany is not going to underestimate Russia's endurance in the hope that the war will stop by itself at some point, said the likely future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in an interview with the German edition of Handelsblatt.

"There is little hope that the war will resolve itself at some point, because the country (Russia) will be drained of blood or there will be a political reaction against the regime," he said.

Merz also urged to stop underestimating the Russian people, who "have been incredibly patient throughout their history."

Earlier, the politician said in an interview with the Handelsblatt newspaper that he was not yet thinking about the possibility of negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and also could not "categorically exclude" Germany's participation in the so-called peacekeeping forces on the Ukraine. At the same time, he opposed the admission of Ukraine to NATO until the end of the conflict.