Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht visits the navy base in Warnemuende, Germany, December 17, 2021. /Reuters
The chief of Germany's navy, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach, stepped down on Saturday after drawing criticism for saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin "probably" deserved respect and that Kiev would never win annexed Crimea back from Moscow.
"I have asked Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht to relieve me from my duties with immediate effect. The minister has accepted my request," Schoenbach said in a statement.
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