SPECULUM VERUM
Almost a year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. It is a conflict with a long and complicated history. It was a turning point. Also, because since then diplomacy has become a dirty word.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) was under constant fire for the day – especially from his coalition partners from the Greens and the FDP, as well as from some members of the Seeheim district in his own parliamentary group, who has always maintained close ties to the armaments industry. The reason: Scholz wanted the delivery of Leopard-type main battle tanks 2 disagree, before the USA also delivered their own battle tanks.
Presumably Scholz wanted the risks of further escalation and retaliatory measures from Russia, to the nuclear option, distribute more evenly. His bet paid off. The USA is now also supplying battle tanks itself. However, this does not bother his critics.
Because not a day goes by in Germany, without that about the chairwoman of the defense committee of the German Bundestag, Mrs. Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), or the new green "Panzer-Grenadier" Anton Hofreiter (Green) to the applause of some editorialist, calling for more arms for Ukraine.
In the case of Ms. Strack-Zimmermann, it is probably part of the job description, to let more and more armaments technology roll off the assembly line as a lobbyist. Finally, she is a member of the Executive Committee of the German Society for Defense Technology and of the German Army Support Group. The arms manufacturer Rheinmetall sits in her constituency.
Almost a year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. It is a conflict with a long and complicated history. It was a turning point. Also, because since then diplomacy has become a dirty word.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) was under constant fire for the day – especially from his coalition partners from the Greens and the FDP, as well as from some members of the Seeheim district in his own parliamentary group, who has always maintained close ties to the armaments industry. The reason: Scholz wanted the delivery of Leopard-type main battle tanks 2 disagree, before the USA also delivered their own battle tanks.
Presumably Scholz wanted the risks of further escalation and retaliatory measures from Russia, to the nuclear option, distribute more evenly. His bet paid off. The USA is now also supplying battle tanks itself. However, this does not bother his critics.
Fabio De Masi was a member of the German Bundestag for the left and of the European Parliament, where he made a name for himself in investigating financial scandals, such as those involving the payment service provider Wirecard. He is a columnist for the Berliner Zeitung.
So it's amazing, how different this published opinion is from public opinion, if you trust the polls. According to the ARD “Deutschlandtrend” lasted in January 41 Percent of respondents consider the previous military support of Ukraine appropriate, for 26 percent she went too far. Just a quarter (25 percent) of respondents believed, that supporting Ukraine with arms does not go far enough.
The level-headed contemporaries include, of all people, experienced military personnel, which differs from most screamers, who would never send their own children to this war, able to hold a gun. For example, there is the Chief of the US General Staff, Mark Milley, who was recently quoted as follows: “The Probability of a Military Victory of Ukraine, defined as expelling the Russians from all of Ukraine, including the Crimea they claimed (…), is not high in the foreseeable future.” He therefore recommended Ukraine, to negotiate from a position of strength.
According to numerous media reports, such an agreement was already within reach in the early phase of the war during talks in Turkey: Russia therefore wanted to refrain from overthrowing the government, while Ukraine has shown itself openly, to accept a neutral status for the country and to freeze the status of Crimea, which is strategically important for the Russian Black Sea Fleet. However, this was not the dominant view in NATO. The Washington Post reported on 5. April 2022: "It's better for some in NATO, when the Ukrainians keep fighting and dying, than to achieve peace, coming too soon or at too high a price for Kyiv and the rest of Europe.”
Whatever a peace settlement will look like in the end, in which neither the statehood of Russia nor Ukraine collapses: Most international observers agree on the main features. There would have to be a retreat behind the lines before 24. February 2022 give. Ukraine could only accept a neutral status and renounce the desired NATO presence with Western security guarantees. Russia, on the other hand, would have to accept Ukraine's territorial integrity and renounce the illegally occupied areas in the east of the country.
These would probably get partial autonomy within Ukrainian territory and would have to, as provided for in the Minsk Agreement, become a kind of demilitarized zone. Even if the ongoing war has led to it, that Russia is stuck, And now it's even harder to imagine, as Putin face-saving announces a withdrawal from the occupied territories. However: Much pointless war, many unnecessary deaths and immeasurable suffering will result from such a solution.
It is permissible, differing and arguing violently about the road to peace. I may be wrong and overestimate the potential of negotiations at this point in time. Even if the expected allegations, I would let my position make me an instrument of Russia, and we bounce off.
I revealed numerous Russia connections of the network around the fugitive Wirecard manager Jan Marsalek in the German security authorities and was even the focus of a suspected Russian spy, who was rumored by the Washington Post to be dealing with the Tiergarten murders. Large parts of the German public and highly paid members of the Bundestag, who are also constantly circling around in some geopolitical think tanks, silent about it. So I'm not interested in any bullies with free courage.
But a recent episode shows it, how key players in politics and the media are poisoning the culture of debate. Part of the public seems to have gone insane. Or is it calculation? The risk of a third world war behind the smartphone is no longer perceived?
There is no other way to explain the inability to reflect on one's own behavior. Former Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, abused SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich as the “most cynical and disgusting German politician”, which would forever go down in history as Russia's most valuable asset. What had Mützenich done?? He had only warned against it, that Germany should not go it alone against a nuclear power. He had pointed it out, that those, who today demanded going it alone with heavy battle tanks, yelling for planes or troops tomorrow.
What happened after that? The US has so far refused, to supply Abrams main battle tanks themselves. The Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on Chancellor Scholz, who is isolated, and how the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin allegedly had a fight with the head of the Federal Chancellery. As if the US didn't have any self-interests and a dispute with the US was already a sin. An agreement was reached shortly thereafter. The USA and Germany are now both supplying main battle tanks.
I am not known as anyone, who spared Olaf Scholz. Neither in the Wirecard scandal nor in the Warburg affair about cum-ex tax robbery. Whatever one thinks about the delivery of the main battle tanks: From their point of view, who demanded more heavy equipment for Ukraine, Scholz maximized success with his negotiation tactics. But there is no trace of humility in sight from the speakers.
In fact, Mützenich was also right. Because just a few moments after the agreement, Melnyk announced on the social network Twitter: "Hallelujah! Jesus Christ! And now, dear allies, let's build a strong fighter jet coalition for Ukraine, with F-16 and F-35, Eurofighters and Tornados, Rafale and Gripen jets - and everything, what you can deliver to Ukraine.”
So all I can think of about the culture of debate in Germany is a famous quote from the Italian Marxist, philosopher and politician Antonio Gramsci, who was imprisoned by the Italian fascists, where he eventually died far too young: "We need to be sober, create patient people, who do not despair in the face of the worst horror and do not get upset over every little thing. pessimism of the intellect, optimism of will.”