Germany's Merz: 'We are no longer at peace'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday "we are not at war, but we are no longer at peace either," warning that the world is undergoing fundamental shifts.

Speaking at an event organized by the Rheinische Post newspaper, Merz said the rules-based international order is being replaced by raw power politics, often accompanied by military force. "We are living in a completely different world," he said.

Merz expressed concern over recent drone overflights in Denmark and the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. He said that while the drones appear to be unarmed, they are equipped with surveillance technology and have wingspans of up to eight metres. "We still do not know exactly where they come from, but the suspicion is that they are from Russia," he said.

Dealing with this threat is complex, as Germany is densely populated, Merz said, adding that an eight-metre drone could not simply be taken down from the sky.

"It could crash into a front yard, a kindergarten, or a hospital. We really have to be careful about what we do," he said, stressing that the best approach would be to prevent such drones from entering European airspace in the first place.