"I must say something openly: this worries me and pains my heart. The point is that we Europeans are not currently playing an influential role in the world to the extent that we can fully protect our interests," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in an interview with the CDU TV party channel.
According to the politician, European states currently do not have the ability to exert pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and end the war in Ukraine, and are becoming dependent on the United States in this matter.
At the same time, countries such as India, China, and Brazil are establishing new cooperative relations with Russia.
Despite this, Merz acknowledged the reappearance of signs of unity among European states as a positive development.
