The Kremlin stated on Monday that it would need to observe the evolution of ties between Russia and any new German government following Sunday's election of Friedrich Merz's conservatives. They noted the potential for areas of cooperation of mutual interest.
Merz, aged 69, is poised to become Germany's next chancellor after his CDU/CSU bloc emerged in first place, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieving a historic second place following Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party alliance collapse.
In response to whether Merz's election could pave the way for a more positive bilateral relationship akin to the era under former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked, "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."
Before Moscow's conflict in Ukraine three years ago, Russia supplied approximately 65% of the gas used in German households and industries as per the Brookings Institution, a U.S. think-tank. Germany has substantially reduced its reliance on Russian gas since then, with tensions between the nations escalating due to Berlin's military support for Ukraine.