Berlin.
The more turbulent the times and the more hostile the rhetoric, the less excited the West has to act. The chancellor does it.
There are spooky images surrounding the anniversary of the Ukraine war come from Moscow. A young Russian soldier sings on the stage at Luzhniki Stadium while patriotic songs blare in the background. “Blood will rain on the ground” and “the bright red flag will wave over Berlin” is the refrain.
At almost the same time, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Wassili Nebensja, was spreading war poetry that distorted history. The West wants to “dismember and destroy” its country, he rants. “The German tanks will kill Russians once again.” war against Ukraine was a new edition of the Soviet Union’s struggle against Hitler’s troops.
Ukraine: Why the Russians rely on Nazi bogeyman
However, the historical references rather expose what Russian President Vladimir Putin is really after: the restoration of the USSR 2.0. The Nazi bugger serves him as a ideological embellishment its imperialist goals.
A year after the invasion of Ukraine, the head of the Kremlin brings in the big one nationalist club out of here. On the one hand, he wants to mobilize his population. The “military special operation”, as the conquest campaign is called in the neighboring country, did not turn out to be a blitzkrieg victory. Above all, however, the shrill threat scenario reveals fears of being surrounded and paranoia. Both are signs of weakness.
The nuclear power Russia needs the strong arm of China
Through the war, Putin has conjured up what he always wanted to prevent. The West is more united than ever. The Ukrainians are showing a resilience he didn’t expect. The nuclear superpower Russia is internationally isolated and now needs the strong arm of China.
What does that mean for the West on the threshold of second year of war? Even if the transatlantic unity and the US commitment to Europe surprised many, there is no reason for gestures of triumph. Clarity on the matter, restraint in tone are more promising.
Only when Ukraine is safe will others be safe too
It is important to keep a cool head. The support of Ukraine – also with weapons – is mandatory. Only when Ukraine is safe will others be safe too. If the Russians get through with an attack against the rules-based international order, no one will be immune to attacks. The world would be governed by the law of the jungle, a paradise for all autocrats and dictators. The West should advertise its course worldwide. That means intensive diplomacy – especially in the war-skeptical developing and emerging countries that have a certain sympathy for the Russian narrative.
To put it in a nutshell: the West must not act as a know-it-all. He must communicate clearly and be defensive – mentally, politically, economically and militarily. freedom and democracy are not self-evident, there is no eternity guarantee.
Ukraine war – background and explanations for the conflict
Calm, calm, predictable: the Chancellor’s style is appropriate to the times
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) seems to have internalized this. He found his role in the last twelve months. He shed the ballast of a naïve Russia policy (‘change through trade’) that was widespread across the country, particularly among the Social Democrats. With a view to the arms deliveries to Ukraine, Scholz went from being driven to taking action.
Close coordination with America and the allies paved the way for the deployment of Leopard main battle tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles in January. Calm, calm, predictable: the chancellor’s style is all the more appropriate the more turbulent the times and the more hostile the rhetoric. It is the right signal internally and externally.
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