The recent onset of hiding his true face of Russian occupation forces in Eastern Ukraine fully shows how necessary is the preservation of sanctions against Russia. In view of the continuing and deepening the Kremlin’s aggression against a sovereign European state wishing to become a part of the democratic community, it would be appropriate, even essential way to toughen punitive measures imposed.
But, as in many other European countries, Germany also strengthened the position of those people who require action in the opposite direction.
And not only from the extreme right and left, but also from other segments of the political and social center all the louder calls to end finally, a confrontational approach to the Kremlin and back to “normal” and focused on the cooperation relations with Russia.
This trend gets strong support just from the new American President Donald trump, of which a considerable part of European society is still perceived essentially as a threat.
Ukraine is burdensome for many
The repeated statement trump that close cooperation with the Putin regime would be “a wonderful thing”, especially in the fight against Islamic terrorism, and his hints that he can mark imposed over Ukraine sanctions — all of this resonates with representatives of different political directions.
These people agree with trump that solidarity with Ukraine is not worth it to abandon a harmonious relationship with the mighty Russia.
Recently the Chairman of the party CSU, Horst Seehofer, more or less openly supported this position. And now together with the Minister of foreign Affairs, Sigmar Gabriel, kept up the post of Chairman of the SPD, they can further strengthen its influence in the Federal government.
However, Gabriel takes the position of the government, which puts the lifting of sanctions dependent on the implementation of the Minsk agreements. However, in the former position of Minister of economic development, he strongly advocated the softening of this principle.
Our tendency to concede
Gabriel called the current EU course — “first 100% execution of Minsk, and then 100% lifting of sanctions,” — “not particularly clever”. In his opinion, a more flexible position does not imply “approval of what Russia has done”. However, everybody knows that “isolation in the long run brings nothing. In the end only helps the dialogue,” he said. As if the Federal government does nothing in this regard.
For offensive actions, Gabriel is hiding the following point of view: using promises concerning the partial lifting of sanctions Russia could decline to the fact that she did, at least, small steps towards de-escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
However, in the case of approval of such positions increased the danger that the Kremlin is using imaginary concessions would undermine the willingness of the West to resist and will bring its full attenuation. With the recent escalation of hostilities in Eastern Ukraine, Moscow is trying to demonstrate the impotence of disunited and tottering of the West, and also increase his inclination to make concessions.
It seems that this calculation is justified. Indeed, instead of subjected to sharp criticism of the brutal attack of Pro-Russian forces located in the Eastern Ukraine city of Avdeevka, European and German public is increasingly inclined to lay blame on Ukraine for the military escalation.
For example, in the last few days began to spread rumors that the Russian offensive is just a reaction to the “provocation” of the Ukrainian army, which deliberately tries to move forward the front line. As confirmation of this version is indicated on the supposedly available to Federal government information, which, “inter alia” is “based on the reports of the OSCE mission in Eastern Ukraine” — as it was formulated by the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
From whom do the similar dubious reports — this question remains open. However, in the permanent mission of the USA to the OSCE made clear that the responsibility for the intensification of armed clashes carries the Russian side. Such hints quickly turn into the allegations that the Ukrainian government through the escalation of the conflict is trying to torpedo the rapprochement between U.S. President trump and Vladimir Putin.
Bundestag Deputy from the CDU Karl-Georg Velman (Karl-Georg Wellmann) turned a similar scenario into a real conspiracy theory — he believes that this political maneuver can stand us Senator and critic of trump John McCain.
Ukraine is a hopeless case?
In the end, McCain recently visited Kiev. Especially noteworthy is the fact that welman is the Chairman of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group, and he willingly presents himself as a traditional friend of Ukraine.
However, it has long started to propagate the false message that the reform process in Ukraine is not a step moving forward, and thus he reinforces a common German prejudice according to which Ukraine is a hopeless case. With such friends, Ukraine really doesn’t need enemies.
This, however, does not mean that wrong behavior in Ukraine this military confrontation should not be subjected to Frank criticism. However, it should not be overlooked that the Ukraine is the side that was attacked, and that its territory is protected from foreign armies.
Mrs Kessman and real war
However, this basic distinction is increasingly lost in the German public opinion, and it happens under the influence of propagating ideas about equal distance. Worse still, increasingly, in society, the voices of those who turns the aggressor, that is Russia, maligned victim.
For example, Uli Hoeness and Margo Kessman (Margot Käßmann) to other things that have little in common between them, but at this point they all converge. Recently, the President of the Munich football club FC Bayern said: “the big problem is that we, the Germans, strongly criticized Russia and contemptuously pushes it aside.” Just Russian state propaganda to a greater extent systematically deals with what is contemptuous and hate-filled distorted image of Western democracy!
Former President (of the Council) the Evangelical Church in Germany recently again condemned “anti-reflex” and said we should “do everything possible to avoid a new cold war, and even more in order to avoid a real war.” And the fact that Putin is in Ukraine for a long time does such a “real war”, Margo Kessman generous not to notice, but pretends to be a pacifist and prudish.
Neither trump nor Orban not eliminate his critics
At least she admits the occupation of the Crimea contrary to international law and that Putin “is not a “pure Democrat”. But then she adds: I would not classify such “Mr. trump, Mr. Orban and some others.” Such assertion of the relativity of the autocratic regime induces a shock.
What would be the negative things neither mentioned about trump or about Orban, both of them were democratically elected. The American President is under the control of institutions of the legal state. And while Orban did not attack neighboring countries and ordered to liquidate objectionable to critics.
For harmonious from the ethical point of view appeals as to to finally once again be helpful with Russia, in fact, hides indifference to the victims of the autocracy of Putin — and also erosion of their own ideas about freedom. If such a position will prevail, and we will conclude in the arms of the aggressor, then our democracy will be severely damaged.
