In “Hart aber Fair” (ARD) the situation in Russia and Ukraine is an issue. SPD politician Kevin Kühnert is characterized by a “non-opinion”.
Berlin – When the “General” secretary of our largest government and parliamentary party honors Frank Plasberg’s “Hart aber fair” talk show (ARD), then one hopes that the leadership qualities that are indispensable for his job will also be reflected in his strength of opinion demonstrate. But the fact that Kevin Kühnert had absolutely nothing substantial to contribute to the topic “Everything on one card: How high is Putin’s gamble?” certainly didn’t only disappoint SPD voters.
In the course of the discussion, one never got rid of the feeling that although the pimples were gone, the (political) puberty remained. Udo Lielischkies, visibly annoyed by Kühnert’s “My name is Hase, I don’t know anything” attitude, persistently tries to wring his own attitude (“You’re not a backbencher in your party!”) from him. But Kühnert withdraws from his responsibility towards the Ukraine with an arrogance that is already hard to bear, so that he seems like a foreign body in the round of the otherwise open-minded guests.
ARD Talk “Hard but fair”: How powerful is the Russian military?
In view of the countless men who are leaving the country and accepting air fares of 3,000 euros (to Armenia) or 4,000 euros to Georgia in order not to have to go to war against Ukraine, the question arises for Plasberg: “ How dangerous can that be for Putin? Is that wishful thinking or is something really happening in Russia?”
Udo Lielischkies hopes that “the Russians may have woken up now and no longer believe every word on state television”. Claudia Major questions the combat effectiveness of the Russian troops, which the current partial mobilization will not change: “If the poorly trained and unmotivated soldiers arrive at the front, they will do little.”
And for Wolfgang Ischinger, Putin has long since lost his credibility, so for him the threat of using nuclear weapons is just a bluff.
Hard but fair on ARD: The guests of the September 26 show
- Kevin Kühnert , SPD politician
- Serap Güler , CDU politician
- Wolfgang Ischinger , diplomat
- Claudia Major , military expert
- Udo Lielischikies , journalist
- Erdal Yalcin , economist
Ukraine as a topic on “Hart aber fair” (ARD): “Right now our government must not duck away!”
Serap Güler advises using Russia’s current weakness to finally supply Ukraine with the Leopard tanks it needs: “Right now our government must not duck away!” But that’s exactly what Kevin Kühnert is doing at this moment: “Whatever we do, we do it with a cool head. The decision-makers are constantly thinking.”
He just doesn’t want to reveal who they are and what thoughts they have. Even Plasberg’s smug objection as to whether Defense Minister Lambrecht, who last week invoked Germany as a future military leader, would make these decisions, he humorlessly brushes off. He babbles about an invoice with many unknowns and personally feels unable to deliver the desired tanks because he simply has no idea about the effectiveness of weapon systems.
ARD Talk “Hard but fair”: Kühnert reaps speechlessness
Lielischkies tries logic: “Why does the government deliver self-propelled howitzers, but not the Leopard 1?” Major emphasizes the useful interaction of the various weapon systems in order to be successful, which is negligently ignored here. “After all, the ‘Leopard 1’ is the best prerequisite for shortening the war,” adds Ischinger.
And Güler can no longer hear Kühnert’s excuse about the dogma of exclusively joint decisions: “They by no means agreed everything with the NATO partners, they often just followed suit. Even the turn of the era that they highly stylized fell by the wayside.” Kühnert does not open himself to any arguments, acts like a defiant child and only gets speechless and shaking his head in the group.
ARD Talk “Hard but fair”: Sanctions against Russia are not a panacea
But Kevin Kühnert is not the only SPD politician who keeps pouring grist on Putin’s mill. The party’s co-chairman, Lars Klingbeil (and other politicians) are also taken in by Putin’s game with nuclear fears. “If the West allows itself to be blackmailed with the threat of nuclear war, then Putin has won,” warns Claudia Major. However, Wolfgang Ischinger does not see this danger: “It has become lonely around Putin. Even China wants negotiations. India too and even Erdogan.”
The economic expert Erdal Yalcin, who was also on board, also takes this line: “The economic situation is becoming more and more threatening for Putin. Although sanctions are not a panacea, they act as accompanying measures in the medium and long term.”
And when he answered Plasberg’s question as to whether we can recover from the sanctions faster than Russia with a clear “yes”, you go to bed with a little peace of mind – even if it’s only for one night! (Rolf Ruediger Hamacher)
