Germany and Poland warn against Europe entering a “pre-war era”
There has been a debate between German parties and others from the ruling coalition for weeks about the delivery of “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine, in light of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s refusal to hand over these long-range missiles to Kiev, justifying this with fears of their use to strike targets in Russia, amid appeals from the president. Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky said that if his country does not receive the military aid promised by the United States, and is hampered by disagreements in Congress, its forces will have to retreat “in small steps.”
The controversial “Taurus” missiles (AP)
Zelensky told the Washington Post: “If American support does not exist, it means that we do not have air defenses, Patriot missiles, electronic warfare jamming devices, or 155-millimeter artillery rounds.” He added: “This means that we will retreat, step by step, in small steps.” He continued: “We are trying to find some way not to back down.”
German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck says he sees no hope for a quick and peaceful end to the Russian war against Ukraine. In turn, neighboring Poland entered the line, increasing European fears about the developments of the war and what direction it might take in the near future. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that “war is no longer a concept of the past” in Europe, which has entered a “pre-war era,” he said during an interview with the European press.
The war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin against Ukraine is the bloodiest war Europe has witnessed since 1945. Habeck, who also holds the position of Economy Minister, said: “Every day is a day of death, and there is no end in sight.” On the contrary, Russia under Putin’s leadership is completely shifting to a war economy and dramatically increasing arms production. He added that there have been discussions in Germany in recent weeks about the nature and extent of support for Ukraine, “some of which are harsh, some of which are painful.”
The leader of the SPD parliamentary group, Rolf Mutzenich, had discussed “freezing” the conflict – in other words, a ceasefire to allow for a negotiated solution. He was widely criticized for this reason.
Polish Prime Minister Tusk and his Ukrainian counterpart Shmyhal during bilateral talks in Warsaw (Reuters)
Habeck said that Putin wants to destroy the unity of Europe, adding: “If Putin succeeds in his war in Ukraine, he will move forward.” For this reason, it is also important for security in Germany and peace in Europe that Ukraine successfully defends itself and that Germany helps it.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner also warned against laxity in supporting Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian invasion of its territory. He said in statements to the German newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger published on Saturday: “Our peace and freedom are threatened. Putin not only cares about Ukraine, he wants to change the system of peace and freedom in Europe… He wants to control us to control our way of life and our prosperity. Anyone who is weary of supporting Ukraine because it is too burdensome or too expensive should consider the consequences. The danger of war will approach us.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (AP)
Lindner, as quoted by the German agency, opposed calls to freeze the war. Lindner said: “Russia has committed war crimes.” For Ukraine, it is about existing as a state. For people, it is often about survival. “A situation like this cannot be frozen.” He added that such proposals are not accepted in countries that feel threatened by Putin, such as the Baltic states.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to the front line on Wednesday (EPA)
Lindner asked a counter question, saying: “What effects will befall us if the French Parliament thinks about freezing the conflict when the enemy is in the German city of Chemnitz?”, stressing the necessity of not allowing Putin to achieve his war goals.
Former German President Joachim Gauck, in turn, warned against excessive fear when dealing with Russia. He said in statements to the newspapers of the German “Deutschland” media network published on Saturday: “Putin realizes that many Germans feel fear more quickly than the Poles and French, for example. He exploits these tendencies. Fear helps the aggressor.”
Biden during his visit to Kiev on February 20, 2023 (AP)
Gauck stated that his call is not to rush into fear in light of the ability to withstand, and he said: “It will not be possible to see any possible solutions in the event of restriction due to fear.”
Gauck expressed his hope that Chancellor Schulz would reconsider his refusal to hand over the “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine, and said: “I do not see involvement in the war through the (Taurus) missiles, and neither do experts in international law and military experts,” adding that there is Also, those in the German government or in the Social Democratic Party do not agree with Chancellor Schulz on this position, and he said: “But the Chancellor has the authority to issue directives.”
Habeck announced his position rejecting “freezing the war.” He said: “As much as I understand that there is talk about freezing the war in light of the large number of casualties, this position ignores the fact that only the Ukrainians can determine the price they are willing to pay and under what conditions they want to reach a ceasefire agreement or end the war.”
Habeck said he does not see any hope for a quick and peaceful end to the Russian war against Ukraine. He said in a video clip posted on the social media platform “X”: “We long for peace. naturally. But the honest and harsh answer is: There probably won’t be a quick and good ending, even if we wanted it otherwise. He continued: “We have to adapt to the threat situation. “Anything else would be naive.” Therefore, it is better for Germany to invest more in its security. He added, “We, Germany and the European Union, must protect ourselves in all respects, including from military attacks.”
Zelensky demands that Berlin constantly provide him with Taurus missiles (AP)
Habeck added: “I declared my support for supplying weapons to Ukraine early on, and I still support continuing to support them with more and more military equipment.” However, Habeck stressed his respect for any position that reaches a different conclusion than he reached on the issue of sending weapons to Ukraine for principled moral reasons or religious convictions.
He added: “I also understand very well that people are afraid of the escalation of the war. “I’m worried too.” The question is: What is the situation and what action is necessary to confront this threat?
He added that the government must deal with this matter on a permanent basis.
In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its air strikes against Ukraine, which neighbors Poland. On Friday, new large-scale Russian strikes caused damage to 3 power plants. Which led to a power outage in several areas. Tusk told the “LENA” media alliance (Leading European Newspaper Alliance), which includes 8 European newspapers: “I do not want to frighten anyone, but the war is no longer a concept of the past, but rather a reality, and it began more than two years ago.” He said, as quoted by Agence France-Presse: “The most worrying issue currently is that all scenarios are possible. “We have not seen a situation like this since 1945.”
He stressed: “This may be devastating, especially for the new generation, but we have to get used to the idea that a new era has begun: the pre-war era, and I am not exaggerating when I say this.” He went on to say: “If Ukraine loses, no one in Europe will feel safe.”
Polish Prime Minister Tusk and his Ukrainian counterpart Shmyhal during bilateral talks in Warsaw (Reuters)
Tusk, whose country is one of Ukraine’s main supporters, said that “Europe has a long way to go” in terms of defense, stressing that it should be “independent and self-sufficient” in this field. He added: “Our work is based on continuing transatlantic relations, regardless of the identity of the American president,” as the US presidential elections approach next November.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, fears have emerged about the possibility of the conflict spreading to countries that share borders with it. Last Sunday, the Polish army said that a Russian cruise missile was launched towards cities in western Ukraine, violating Polish airspace for 39 seconds.
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2024-03-30 22:52:00
