German President Calls for End of Demonizing Russia

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for ending the demonization of Russia and its people on Sunday. He added that Germany should do more to help de-escalate tensions, given his country’s unique history with Russia.

Steinmeier warned that the US-led airstrikes in Syria in the early hours of Saturday morning raised the risk of direct confrontation between US and Russian forces operating in the Syrian theater. Relations between the US and Russia have hit a post-Cold War low after the attack, which followed the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria, last week. The Syrian regime has denied allegations that it gassed its own people, particularly in an area where, and a time when, its forces were on the brink of total victory.

“We are at the next step of escalation in the Russian-American relationship,” Steinmeier told Bild. “Regardless of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, we cannot declare Russia as a whole, the country and its people, to be an enemy,” he said. “Our history speaks against it, and there is too much at stake.”