Lina Lund: Are the Germans letting Russia off too easily?

Friedrich Merz promised that those behind the kamikaze drones at Leipzig would “pay.” When Germany finally responded, however, the chancellor was nowhere to be seen. He sent his foreign and interior ministers to announce measures against Russia instead.

The ministers publicly blamed Moscow for attempting to blow up a Ukrainian cargo plane on German soil. They summoned the Russian ambassador, closed the general consulate in Bonn and ended the lease of the Russian cultural center in Berlin, a Soviet-era concrete building that has been identified as a Kremlin espionage center.

The European Union is also preparing new sanctions and tougher measures against Russia’s shadow fleet. The question now is whether that package can deter Vladimir Putin from crossing another red line.

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They will pay.

The German government says the Leipzig incident was not isolated and expects more sabotage. That may explain why Berlin is holding back stronger measures. If tensions rise, Merz could personally announce the expulsion of the Russian ambassador or activate NATO’s Article 4, which requires member states to consult. In the worst case, Germany could invoke Article 5, the principle that an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all.

Germany is divided over the response. Defense experts who wanted tougher action dismiss the measures as mere “measures” and warn that limited consequences invite Putin to take further risks. On the other side are Germans fearful of war, including figures sympathetic to Russia, who argue that Berlin should keep its head cool. The debate turns on whether Russia has escaped too cheaply, or whether the price demanded by Germany is already too high.

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