While CDU politicians are demanding a tougher approach toward Russia, members of the SPD, such as Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Vice Chancellor of Germany Sigmar Gabriel oppose the introduction of new sanctions and called for their gradual withdrawal.
"Gabriel and Steinmeier have been supporting the gradual lifting of the sanctions […]. With regard to this issue, the two ministers have a large part of their party's members by their side," the article said.
During the upcoming federal election campaign, the Social Democrats could use the issue of Moscow-Berlin relations as an important trump card against Merkel and cause her a lot of trouble, the newspaper noted.
If the SPD will position itself as a party which seeks rapprochement with Moscow, it is likely to receive additional support, both from the Left Party voters and supporters of "Alternative for Germany," for whom the establishment of relations with Russia is very important.
According to the newspaper, the introduction of new sanctions against Russia would not be worth the risk for the German Chancellor. Even if Merkel's party managed to promote the idea of new sanctions within the German political elite, its implementation would require a further unanimous decision of the EU Member States, which may be very difficult to achieve at the moment, the newspaper wrote.
For his turn, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there were no reasons to introduce sanctions against Moscow over Syria, because Russia was the only country, whose armed forces were in the Middle Eastern nation on a legitimate basis, from the point of view of the international law.
