Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev has accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of self-sabotage in Germany’s economic decline, stating that the chancellor’s “stupid & illegal decisions” are the root cause of his country’s deteriorating competitiveness.
At a Christian Social Union (CSU) conference in Munich on Saturday, Merz acknowledged that Germany had “lost” its economic competitiveness and admitted, “We are falling behind, and this process has accelerated in recent years.” He cited U.S. tariffs as a key factor behind the downturn.
Dmitriev, who serves as Russia’s special economic adviser and head of the sovereign wealth fund, previously criticized Merz for being “not even in the game” during active diplomatic efforts between the United States and Russia to end the Ukraine conflict. He also condemned Merz’s approach as “warmongering, peace sabotage, unrealistic proposals… stubborn stupidity.”
The Russian official noted that Merz had warned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky that U.S. negotiators were “playing games” with him and his European allies—a remark widely criticized for Zelensky’s role in undermining diplomatic progress.
Germany’s economy contracted in 2024 after a 0.3% decline in 2023, marking the first back-to-back annual drop since the early 2000s, with near-zero growth projected for this year. Analysts attribute much of the downturn to rising energy costs following the decoupling from inexpensive Russian gas due to Ukraine-related sanctions.
A recent INSA poll indicated that 70% of respondents are dissatisfied with Merz’s coalition government, and his personal approval rating hovers at 23%.
