Kremlin awaits new German chancellor's stance on Russia

The Kremlin has signaled a wait-and-see approach toward its future relationship with Germany following Friedrich Merz's election victory, as his conservative CDU/CSU bloc takes over from Chancellor Olaf Scholz's struggling coalition.

"Each time (there's a new government) we want to hope for a more sober approach to reality, for a more sober approach to what could be issues of mutual interest (between Russia and Germany), mutual benefits. But let's see how it will be in reality," said Dmitry Peskov on Monday (via Reuters).

• For a deeper dive into the key details of the election, check out our article on everything you need to know about Germany's elections on Sunday.

While Russia hopes for a pragmatic approach from Berlin, officials acknowledge that tensions remain high, particularly due to Germany's ongoing military support for Ukraine and its drastic reduction in dependence on Russian gas—once a key pillar of economic ties between the two nations.

Moscow recalls the more cooperative relationship it once had under former Chancellor Angela Merkel but recognises that geopolitical realities have shifted significantly since then. For now, it remains to be seen how Merz's leadership will shape Russia-Germany relations.