EUROPE RALLIES BEHIND GERMANY AGAINST MOSCOW
Berlin has officially accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone attack targeting Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4.
France, Belgium and Sweden quickly expressed solidarity with Germany, with the European Union and NATO also backing Berlin.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for a firm European response to what he described as a growing number of hybrid operations attributed to Moscow, while supporting additional sanctions against Russia.
Moscow has categorically denied the accusations. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Berlin of fabricating a “pretext” and warned that Russia would respond to German measures.
Germany has also announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and tighter controls targeting Russian nationals.
The dispute signals a new confrontation between Moscow and Europe as tensions continue to rise against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.