The topics with Markus Lanz: The death of the Queen and of course the Ukraine

Created: 09/16/2022 Updated: 09/16/2022, 02:15 am

Is there really a turning point in the Ukraine war? The guests at Markus Lanz don’t really agree on that.

Hamburg – Some already see Russia’s defeat coming and hope for an uprising against Putin, while others urge caution. But before it came to really important things, the switch was made to London, where the funeral services for the Queen, who died a week ago, are ongoing and culminating in the funeral on Monday.

Diana Zimmermann, long-time head of the ZDF studio in London, tried to capture the mood in the United Kingdom with Markus Lanz on ZDF: Why the grief of the population is so great is easy to answer: “The Queen accompanies her whole life”, hardly anyone remembers her father, her profile adorns coins and stamps, even among those under 24 only 40 percent reject the monarchy. Nevertheless, under the now reigning King Charles, “sense and nonsense of the monarchy will be reconsidered,” said Diana Zimmermann on Markus Lanz on ZDF.

Ukraine war at Markus Lanz: Ukraine shows how weak the Russian army is

While the wheels stand still in England to pay homage to a monarch who also stands for empire, imperialism, slavery and exploitation, a turning point seems to have been reached in the Ukraine war, which has now been raging for more than half a year. But can a solution be found on the battlefield, or will diplomacy ultimately be needed?

Liana Fix, Russia and Eastern Europe expert, was impressed by the advance of the Ukrainian troops, who pretended to attack in the south of the country, but instead attacked in the north-east. And at the same time made huge gains in territory, captured military equipment and showed how weak the Russian army really is. “Western weapons play a huge role in this,” said Fix, who emphasized how important it will be to continue to supply ample arms in the future so that Ukraine’s advance does not remain just a small skirmish.

But how far is Germany willing to deliver heavy weapons? “Are we guilty as Germans if we don’t deliver weapons?” Asked FDP foreign politician Alexander Graf Lambsdorff to Markus Lanz on ZDF. “Support for Ukraine must be increased,” Lambsdorff said, while SPD politician Ralf Stegner, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, defended the position of his party colleague Olaf Scholz. “In the end there has to be a diplomatic solution,” he said, and denied Markus Lanz’s accusations that the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag was acting too cautiously. “Every day brings death and ruin,” said Stegner, but as Liana Fix countered, a large majority of the Ukrainian population is still in favor of continuing the war with all its consequences.

What can diplomacy achieve without arms?

“The public discussion in Germany is only about weapons,” Stegner criticized again and again, but what can diplomacy achieve without weapons? Liana Fix pointed out to Markus Lanz on ZDF that the Kremlin has given no indication whatsoever that the Russian government is willing to enter into serious negotiations about a peace agreement.

But is it possible to force Putin to the negotiating table with weapons? Ralf Stegner seemed to ask, emphasizing time and again that a war cannot be ended with weapons. “The myth of an invincible Russia” is this, said Liana Fix, which arose from happy coincidences. The Russian victories in Georgia or Crimea led to this misjudgment, which now means that the concern in some parts of the West about Russia’s military strength is far too great.

“Russian nuclear power is a theoretical story,” said Markus Lanz, which of course can easily be said in the warm studio. Do you really want to take a chance? The question probably depends on how intensively the West will support Ukraine in the coming days and weeks with ammunition and equipment in order to end the war, which has been going on for far too long, as soon as possible – with or without diplomacy. (Michael Meyns)