Berlin.
Dialogue is important in times of the Ukraine war. But only military strength opens up room for negotiation with aggressors.
Nobody knows how long the war in Ukraine will last. It is all the more important to get a clear picture at the beginning of the young year. Germany needs an unvarnished view of reality. And it takes Strength – politically, economically, socially and militarily.
It would be wrong to indulge in wishful thinking and whitewashing. Peace initiatives like those of the SPD parliamentary group leader fall into this category. Mützenich’s demand to make offers of talks and negotiations to Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin are from one romanticized image of Russia underlaid, to which parts of the Social Democrats still adhere.
Ukraine war – background and explanations for the conflict
Soviet leaders were predictable during the Cold War – Putin is not
The difference: the Soviet leaders were predictable during the Cold War and respected the borders in Europe. Putin, on the other hand, has had one since the beginning of his tenure footprint of violence leave behind. The wars in Chechnya and Georgia were followed by the annexation of Crimea, the rearmament of the separatists in Donbass, the military intervention in Syria and finally the invasion of Ukraine.
The President has set himself the goal of promoting Ukraine as an independent, to wipe out the pro-Western state and annex Russia. He thinks he is on a historical mission, behind which are neo-imperial and nationalistic motives. But the war in Ukraine is more than a regional conflict.
If the Kremlin boss got through, the “law of the jungle” would triumph
The country in Eastern Europe is currently defending democracy and freedom against a brutal aggressor, which also fully targets the civilian population. If Putin gets away with it, his imperial ambitions will get new fuel. And he offers all autocrats in the world the blueprint for an annexation policy according to their taste. The “law of the jungle” would triumph, international law would be at an end.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) analyzed this cleverly in his “Zeitenwende” speech on February 27, 2022. But he didn’t follow the path consistently to the end. The special assets of the Bundeswehr amounting to 100 billion euros are only slowly taking shape. The army suffers from one embarrassing lack of ammunition. The recent total failure of the ultra-modern Puma tanks caused ridicule internationally and made the German armed forces look like a bankruptcy, bad luck and breakdown club to many.
The delivery of battle tanks should be done in association with NATO partners
After all, Scholz has to be credited with the fact that after a phase of hesitation he decided to Delivery of heavy weapons to Kyiv got through. Sending modern air defense systems like Iris-T was right and helped Ukraine to defend itself.
But the Chancellor has to go one step further: the direct delivery of Leopard main battle tanks would make the country whose existence at stake, better protect against the Russian missile and drone barrage. This should not be done by Germany alone – Scholz is right here – but in cooperation with the NATO partners. Germany must dare more hardness.
Military strength sends a stop signal to aggressors
In terms of the economy, the federal government already has a remarkable swing towards more robustness laid down. After the fatal energy dependency on Russia, diversification is now the key. Many companies see the Russia trap as a wake-up call and are cutting back on their China business.
Military strength is not end in itself. It sends a stop signal to aggressors. And it is only through them that more scope for talks and negotiations opens up. The old sentence of former US President Theodore Roosevelt applies: “Speak softly and carry a big stick”.
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