Germany: Beware Putin's Push For Brexit

The Russian President might try to drive a wedge between Britain and the EU, Germany has warned, as David Cameron looks to renegotiate the country's deal with Brussels.

A key ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Vladimir Putin would be "happy" if Britain voted to leave the union and could even fund anti-EU efforts on British soil.

Norbert Rottgen, the chairman of the German Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee and a former minister in Ms Merkel’s cabinet, told Sky News Mr Putin was already funding anti-EU efforts in other countries and could do in the UK.

When asked if the Russian President would be happy if Britain left the EU he said: "No doubt about that: yes he would be happy about that, no doubt about this, because everything which weakens the West and the Europeans is very much appreciated by Russia and Putin."

He added: "If he could contribute to driving a wedge between Britain and others he would do that certainly.

"This is the reason, for example, he finances Marine Le Pen and the Front National because he wants to do everything he can to drive a wedge between the Europeans and between the US and the Europeans."

His warning comes as European leaders are expected to agree to six months of talks on Mr Cameron's attempt to change the terms of Britain's deal with the EU.

Mr Cameron has delivered his renegotiation strategy to European leaders in a speech at a two-day summit in Brussels .

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In his Sky News interview, Dr Rottgen said his view was that EU treaty change within two years was "not realistic".

This was not about Britain per se he said, the Eurozone also might need some treaty change but there was "simply not" the "momentum and consensus in a critical mass of member states" for a change. He did though suggest there may be some room for "legal creativity".

It comes after the Queen made a rare intervention at a state dinner in Berlin to warn of the dangers of division in western and Eastern Europe.

German President Joachim Gauck replied: "Britain is part of Europe. The European Union needs Britain".