Annalena Baerbock’s first visit to Russia is marked by the tensions of the Ukraine conflict. However, a slip of the tongue causes discussions.
Moscow/Frankfurt – The inaugural visit of Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to Russia on Tuesday (01/18/2022) was not an easy task given the increasing tensions in the Ukraine crisis. Baerbock criticized the “threats” by the Russian military movements on the border with Ukraine and addressed human rights violations in Russia. At the same time, she signaled a willingness to engage in dialogue.
Annalena Baerbock also caused a stir on social networks with her visit to Moscow. However, the reason is not related to content, but a slip of the tongue at the press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. When asked about the blocking of the RT Deutsch channel, the German Foreign Minister rejected the allegation of interference by the federal government.
“Freedom of eating”: Annalena Baerbock’s visit to Russia caused ridicule and criticism
Annalena Baerbock explained: “I can underline again that with us, the face… uh, freedom of the press means that there is no state interference in this area.” The Greens politician corrected her slip of the tongue immediately.
A video of the slip of the tongue spread very quickly on social networks. On Twitter, Baerbock received ridicule and criticism under the hashtag “Fressefreiheit” – especially from right-wing circles. The slip of the tongue was classified as “embarrassing” and “not worthy of Germany”. Other users flirted with whether the mask requirement would be lifted.
Annalena Baerbock in Russia: encouragement after “commitment to freedom of the press”
The hashtag “Freedom from eating” got a lot of attention and reach on Twitter. In addition to scorn and ridicule, Annalena Baerbock also received a lot of encouragement. “I think it’s good that Baerbock is committed to freedom of the press. Not every foreign minister says that so clearly when he or she is in Russia. Thank you for that,” said Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP). It was quite remarkable “to emphasize the importance of freedom of the press as Foreign Minister in Russia,” said Anna Schneider, “Chief Reporter Freedom” at the Springer daily newspaper Welt, in recognition of Baerbock’s statements.
Baerbock also received support from the Green Federal Minister of Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, after her promise of “freedom from eating”: “Everything has actually already been said about people who prefer to talk about a slip of the tongue instead of the fact that a foreign minister in Russia is emphatically committed to freedom of the press.”
Visit to Russia: “Looking for mistakes at Baerbock is getting narrower and pettier”
“It’s also kind of cute how Annalena Baerbock’s ritualized search for mistakes is becoming more and more narrow-minded and petty because she’s doing her job well and hardly offers any room for attack,” tweeted the Green Member of the European Parliament, Erik Marquardt. One might think that the critics didn’t care at all, other Twitter users agreed.
Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck also recently came under criticism for another issue: the Corona bonus in 2020. The Berlin public prosecutor’s office is now investigating the Greens’ federal executive board because of the initial suspicion of infidelity. (ms)
