Germany's Green party has criticised the federal government's response to the drone attack at Leipzig Airport attributed to Russia as inadequate. "The federal government must do more to better protect citizens against Russia's increasingly aggressive conduct," parliamentary group leaders Katharina Dröge and Britta Haßelmann said on Wednesday in Berlin. The government had imposed punitive measures against Russia over the incident on Tuesday evening.
"It is almost a month since the people at Leipzig/Halle Airport narrowly escaped a massive catastrophe," Dröge and Haßelmann said. "For months Russia has been subjecting us to espionage, sabotage and disinformation. Now it is sending drones fitted with explosives," they continued. The threat level had risen sharply as a result, they said.
"The federal government hesitated far too long before stating the high probability that Russia was behind the attacks on Leipzig Airport," the Green parliamentary group leaders went on to criticise. "It is good that it is finally doing so now. But Germany's answer to this outrageous act of Russian aggression is not enough."
As a consequence of the drone incident, the government announced it would terminate the consulate general in Bonn and the contract covering the Russian House in Berlin, an institution founded as a cultural institute and now facing espionage allegations. In addition, entry checks for Russian nationals are to be tightened and pressure on the so-called Russian shadow fleet increased. The federal government also intends to push within the EU for sanctions against further Russian officials.
"That the Russian House is now to be closed is right. But as an answer it is too little," Dröge and Haßelmann said. "Together with our allies, Germany must finally take effective action against the Russian shadow fleet. This is overdue," they demanded. On this point, they said, the government had "once again stopped at vague announcements." The EU's next sanctions package against Russia was also taking far too long to arrive. "Merz should have made it his personal priority to deliver a swift and joint response with the EU," the Green politicians said.
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