The crash of a US drone shows that the war can always accidentally escalate, warns a CNN reporter on “Maischberger”.
The US and Russia have come dangerously close over the Black Sea. According to the American Air Force, a US reconnaissance drone crashed after colliding with a Russian fighter jet (read more here).
“It shows, in fact, that there is a great power and a superpower very close together, both of which are extremely heavily armed and that things can go wrong very quickly,” warned CNN war reporter Frederik Pleitgen on Tuesday evening at “Maischberger”. “I believe that this conflict could escalate at any time by accident.”
The guests
- Ricarda Lang, leader of the Green Party
- Jens Spahn (CDU), parliamentary group leader
- Frederik Pleitgen, CNN correspondent
- Marcel Reif, sports journalist
- Anna Mayr, “The Time”
- Michael Bröcker, editor-in-chief of “The Pioneer”
The correspondent for the US news channel has just returned to Germany from a trip lasting several weeks to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. In the hinterland of the embattled town of Bachmut, a rocket landed about 50 meters from him and his team, Pleitgen reported. “I’ve never been so close to dying as in Ukraine,” said the son of former ARD chairman Fritz Pleitgen. For the seasoned war reporter, this is symptomatic.
Bloodiest war in 30 years?
“I’ve never been in a war – and I’ve actually been in many, in Iraq, in Libya, Afghanistan, everywhere – that’s as dangerous as in Ukraine and where people are slaughtered like in Ukraine,” he said Pleitgen at “Maischberger” clear. “It’s a whole different league than anything we’ve seen in the last 20, 30 years.”
According to Pleitgen, there has been little sign of the expected Russian spring offensive in the Ukraine. In Moscow it can be heard that the Russian army is also said to be having problems with supplies. “People in Russia have become significantly more pessimistic,” the CNN correspondent noted.
Ukraine, on the other hand, is “transforming” its armed forces with Western supplies. “Once this process is completed, Ukraine will almost be a western army. It will certainly be one of the most powerful armies in all of Europe,” predicted Pleitgen. In Germany, meanwhile, support for the invaded Ukraine is also increasing the pressure on the budget.
“Maischberger” to the household
“In any case, there is no lack of money in this country,” said Michael Bröcker from the news site “The Pioneer” with a view to unused aid funds for companies or gas customers. “Nobody can tell me that we don’t have any money for investments. The question is rather: do we use state money efficiently, correctly and purposefully. And I would have my doubts about that.”
Bröcker rejected the accusation by Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) that the Greens were a ban party as a well-known election campaign roar. However, he noted: “The Greens are not a ban party, but a party of no confidence. They trust neither the companies nor the consumers.” The plans to ban new gas and oil heating systems are currently leading to a run on these devices in particular. “Completely crazy, the opposite of what Robert Habeck wants. That’s chaos,” said Bröcker.
