Russia's Medvedev floats kidnapping scenario involving Germany's Merz
Jan 05, 2026
Moscow [Russia], January 5: Russia's former president Dmitry Medvedev said he could envisage abduction operations against other world leaders similar to the US action in Venezuela, naming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz among them.
"The kidnapping of the neo-Nazi Merz could be an excellent twist in this carnival of events," Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS on Sunday.
Such a scenario was not unrealistic, he added.
"There are even grounds for prosecuting him in Germany, so it would be no loss, especially since the citizens are suffering needlessly," Medvedev said.
Medvedev, who served as Russian president from 2008 to 2012, has in recent years emerged as one of the Kremlin's most outspoken hardliners, frequently delivering aggressive rhetorical attacks against Ukraine and the West.
He also said claims by the Trump administration that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was illegitimate did not withstand scrutiny.
Source: Qatar Tribune
