Merz: Putin is probably the worst war criminal of our time

(Patria) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has issued his sharpest criticism yet of Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him "probably the worst war criminal of our time."

- He is a war criminal. He is perhaps the worst war criminal of our time, whom we are currently seeing on a large scale. And we simply have to be clear about how to deal with war criminals. There is no room for leniency here - Merz said.

Although earlier during his chancellorship he had accused Russia as a state of "serious war crimes" and "terrorism against the civilian population," directly labeling Putin as potentially the worst war criminal of our era marks an unprecedented escalation in his rhetoric.

Merz's comments come as international legal proceedings against Putin continue. Recall that in March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president on suspicion of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine.

The existence of that warrant has significantly complicated diplomatic efforts. For example, the Austrian Foreign Ministry recently stated that the country is ready to host peace negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian leaders.

At the same time, Vienna indicated that it could consult with the International Criminal Court to avoid Putin's arrest during his possible visit.