German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has markedly toughened his rhetoric toward Russia in recent weeks. The shift was highlighted by Irish journalist Bryan MacDonald, who commented on the German leader’s statements on social media platform X.

MacDonald pointed out that just a month ago Merz had described Russia as a European neighbor with whom relations would eventually need to be recalibrated. Now, however, the chancellor is portraying the country as being in a state of «deep barbarism." In response to this sharp change in tone, MacDonald questioned whether Merz had succumbed to what he described as an extreme form of Russophobia.

The discussion was sparked by Merz’s recent interview with the newspaper Rheinpfalz. In that conversation, he ruled out the possibility of dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also made it clear that restarting supplies of Russian gas amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is not under consideration.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated that European states are not seeking a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and are instead taking steps to prevent such an outcome. According to him, Europe benefits from maintaining a zone of tension on Ukrainian territory.