British News Agency

Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly, made assessments regarding Germany’s economic situation, Russia-Germany relations and the latest state elections in Germany.

Volodin said Germany had once been one of Russia’s important economic partners in Europe and argued that the country had benefited from affordable energy supplies from Russia. He stated that relations between the two countries during that period were based on mutual economic interests.

Criticizing Germany’s current government, Volodin claimed that Chancellor Friedrich Merz had made a “strategic mistake.” Volodin alleged that Merz was actively involved in the conflict on Ukraine’s side and was providing financial and weapons support to Ukraine, arguing that these policies were being pursued at the expense of German citizens.

Volodin also alleged that institutions in Germany had interfered in Russia’s State Duma election process, claiming that German authorities had assessed the elections before they even began and announced that they would not recognize the results.

In elections held on September 20 in the German states of Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered significant losses in votes, while in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania it fell below the 5 percent electoral threshold. Alternative for Germany (AfD) became the leading party in the state.

Commenting on the choice of German voters, Volodin said, “Merz has become a joke as chancellor.” The Russian politician also described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as having “lost his legitimacy” and claimed that French President Emmanuel Macron would “leave office within six months.”

At the end of his statement, Volodin accused the political leaders of Germany and other countries of causing problems and hardships for their own people, arguing that they should be held responsible for the consequences of these policies.