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Baerbock on diplomacy in the Ukraine war: "Plague and Cholera"

At Anne Will on ARD on the subject of the Ukraine war, the guests discuss the question of whether Kremlin boss Putin is also targeting other countries.

Berlin – War has been raging in the heart of Europe for ten days and the question many are asking is: “How far will Putin go?” That was also the subject of Anne Will (ARD) on Sunday evening, where the concern was that Putin would not knows limits.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock from the Greens joined in from Berlin. A few days ago in New York, she described the solidarity of the international community as untouchable, but spoke out clearly against a no-fly zone enforced by NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is vehemently demanding this, completely ignoring that it would almost inevitably lead to a Western war against Russia. “These are the moments in foreign policy when you can only choose between plague and cholera,” said Baerbock on Anne Will on ARD. Deliveries of weapons, sanctions, NATO can do much more than the West can do at the moment if it doesn’t want to provoke a third world war.

Anne Will on ARD: Will Putin attack other countries after Ukraine?

Regarding Ukraine’s demand that Germany should deliver fighter jets to Ukraine, Baerbock pointed out the interesting fact that Ukraine can’t do much with Western planes because their pilots are trained on Russian equipment. Ambiguities that Baerbock tried to make clear with a cracking voice. The sanctions are also costing the German economy a lot, petrol prices are rising every day, and those who heat with gas are hoping that spring will come soon.

The actual discussion was then a little quieter – even if Andriy Jaroslavowytsch Melnyk, Ambassador of Ukraine in the Federal Republic of Germany, pointed out to Anne Will on ARD that there was a risk that Vladimir Putin would not be satisfied with Ukraine. But will the autocrat of Russia actually take the risk of invading NATO countries?

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, deputy leader of the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag, agreed with Baerbock and warned against NATO becoming too offensively involved. Risking a conflict here would be irresponsible, help must come in other ways. The ambassador didn’t want to hear that, saying in an almost apocalyptic manner that Putin knew no borders and that Europe’s demise was imminent.

Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, who joined from Brussels, also agreed with Baearbock on Anne Will on ARD. But he also said that Putin cannot achieve victory in Ukraine. Putin has too few troops, a complete occupation of Ukraine is impossible. This is the EU’s, the West’s, chance to make the situation so difficult for Putin that the Ukraine war doesn’t spread to the whole country. But finding a way out will be difficult, because Putin never backs down.

Guests of Anne Will (ARD) on the Ukraine war position
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff Deputy parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag (FDP)
Andriy Melnyk Ambassador of Ukraine in the Federal Republic of Germany
Annalena Bärbock Foreign Minister (Greens)
Egon Ramms General aD of the army of the Bundeswehr
Frans Timmermans Vice President of the European Commission

Anne Will (ARD): Ukrainian ambassador speaks about military losses of Russian troops in the Ukraine war

Egon Ramms, former Army General of the German Armed Forces, wondered to what extent the question of the potential NATO membership of Georgia and Ukraine is part of the problem. If these states had become part of NATO years ago, Putin might not have started a war today. On the other hand, the Russian warning of further eastward expansion of NATO might have had consequences earlier. A development that foreign policymakers from George Kennan to Henry Kissinger have been warning about for decades, but which has been ignored by one American administration after the next.

But the chance to contain the Ukraine conflict in advance was missed, and now a war is taking place just 1,300 kilometers from the German capital. The Ukrainian ambassador pointed out to Anne Will on ARD that the domestic troops have already destroyed more tanks than the Bundeswehr has. Which says a lot about the situation of the Bundeswehr, but also about the resilience of Ukraine. There will be no quick Russian victory, as the Kremlin apparently had planned. Whether this is good or bad for Ukraine, which has civilian casualties every day, remains to be seen.

Can the EU, can Germany do more? Through gas or oil imports, a good 300 million euros flow to Russia every day from Germany alone, on some days even up to a billion, but simply turn off the tap? Economics Minister Robert Habeck said a few days ago that this would “endanger social peace in Germany.” An argument that the Ukrainian Ambassador to Anne Will understandably rejected on ARD. But even if there is a war in Ukraine, this is not a local conflict, but a global one, and it should not escalate into a world war if possible. (Michael Meyns)

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