Merkel backs freezing arms sales to Saudi Arabia

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that weapons sales to Saudi Arabia "can’t take place in the situation we’re currently in" after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, per the AP.

The big picture: Unlike the United States, which has sold nearly three times more weapons to Saudi Arabia any other country over the past two years, Germany is not a top arms exporter to the kingdom, but Merkel's position was echoed by some American lawmakers on the Sunday news shows, including Sen. Rand Paul.