SPECULUM VERUM
Dear FOCUS Online readers,
the Federal Foreign Minister enjoys some popularity among the German population. That is not unusual for the Federal Foreign Minister, the FDP drew on it for a long time. But in times of war in Europe, every word counts, especially in foreign policy, also and especially then, when speaking in a foreign language.
And that's where the Federal Foreign Minister made a serious faux pas this week, which must not happen in a well-prepared speech. Before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, to the 46 Member States from all over Europe, including all Member States of the European Union, Annalena Baerbock describes the war in Ukraine with the words "We are fighting a war against Russia." We are fighting a war against Russia?
Baerbock and the Russia statement: "We are at war" – "We"?
"We"? This is exactly the Kremlin propaganda, which Moscow is only too happy to hear, and which is then distributed from there via all available channels.
Now, each of us can express ourselves badly once in a while, but in the context of that, what else happened this week, remains the impression of a poorly coordinated and even worse explained outside- and security policy of this federal government. The Federal Foreign Minister said in Paris on Sunday, Germany will issue export licenses for the Leopard tank in the future. The chancellor is silent on this.
On Tuesday evening, reports from the federal government made their way into the media, they will now deliver tanks to the Ukraine themselves. And on Wednesday, the Chancellor will not make a government statement about it, but announces this decision in the government survey by the Bundestag. For justification, why this is happening now, the Federal Chancellor refers solely to the USA, who would now also supply tanks.
We have the need, Ukraine in view of the increased attacks on civilian targets with many deaths and injuries, better help militarily, frequently discussed in recent weeks and months. The focus of the Federal Government's arguments was always and exclusively the question, whether the Americans will also follow this path.
The military situation in Ukraine and the fears, that the Russian army is planning another major offensive, were never part of the justification for or perhaps against further arms deliveries to the Ukrainian army. So the federal government is still missing important answers to questions, which are asked in the population.
And the Federal Foreign Minister carelessly uses a narrative, which the opponents of our aid to Ukraine are only too happy to accept. Outside- and security policy, struggling for popular approval in difficult times, cannot succeed like that.