German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier hit writer Marco Martin, who accused him of supporting Russia.
This was reported by the German publication Bild.
How Steinmeier hit the writer Martin
The incident occurred at an event marking the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The writer criticized the German president for supporting the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline while he was foreign minister.
As eyewitnesses told Bild , during Martin's speech, Steinmeier clenched his jaw and breathed heavily.
The writer himself stated that after the event the president accused him of slander and hit him.
He lost his temper and hit me on the head, " Martin said.
In 2021, Steinmeier, defending Nord Stream 2 in an interview with the German newspaper Rheinische Post, said that energy cooperation was perhaps the last remaining bridge between Europe and Russia. The German president also recalled the “rich history with Russia.”
Construction of Nord Stream 2 began in 2018. After Russia recognized the independence of the DPR and LPR on February 21, 2022, German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz announced the suspension of certification of the gas pipeline.
Explosions occurred at Nord Stream in late September 2022. Russia was not allowed to participate in the investigation.
Recently, the German Attorney General's Office named the main suspect - 44-year-old diver from Ukraine Vladimir Zhuravlev. Shortly before the arrest warrant was issued, the suspect, who was in Poland, fled to Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the German Prosecutor General's Office's version of the divers has no connection to reality.
