German Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing a war crime after a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy killed at least 34 people, including children. Speaking to ARD, Merz labeled the missile attack a “deliberate and calculated war crime” and argued against naive calls for peace talks with Putin, suggesting that Germany’s willingness to discuss is seen as weakness by Putin. Merz also confirmed his support for equipping Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles, aligning with the UK, France, and the US, who have already done so, in contrast to the current German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s stance against it.

Scholz, a member of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), has called the Sumy attack ‘barbaric’ and indicated that it undermines Russia’s claims of seeking peace. The attack occurred as US President Donald Trump’s administration advocated for a ceasefire in Ukraine, with the National Security Council spokesman condemning the missile attack. Former Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk has criticized the new government coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD for lacking concrete military commitments to Ukraine, suggesting it could be interpreted as weak by Putin.

The missile attack on Sumy, which struck on Palm Sunday, caused widespread outrage among European leaders and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who emphasized the violation of international humanitarian law. The incident highlights the ongoing tensions and the complexity of European nations’ responses to Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-s-merz-says-sumy-attack-war-crime-by-russia/a-72234160?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf