In the saber-rattling between NATO and Russia, the Navy chief of the Bundeswehr describes an opinion that does not correspond to the course of the federal government.
He has to report and shows remorse.
Berlin - The NATO countries fear a Russian attack in Ukraine, Russia fears the renewed, final loss of Crimea: The situation in the region is tense, the saber-rattling in full swing.
Even a war in Europe seems a possibility.
Since the new federal government has been in office, a realignment of German-Russian relations has also taken place.
And they haven't really relaxed lately.
New indication: Because Germany's Navy Chief Kay-Achim Schönbach expressed understanding for Russia's ruler Vladimir Putin at an event in New Delhi, the Vice Admiral has caught a rebuke from the traffic light coalition.
Germany and Russia: Navy chief calls for more respect for Putin
The trigger is a recording that appears on social networks: In the video recording of a meeting in the Indian metropolis, you can hear how the 56-year-old pleads for Crimea, which was annexed in 2014, to be left to the Russian people.
"Crimea is gone and will never come back," explains the senior officer in the Bundeswehr Navy.
In the more than two-minute recording, Schönbach explains why more respect for Putin (69) would be appropriate.
An obvious hint that the naval inspector regrets the tense relationship with the largest country in the world in terms of area: “...I think Putin is putting pressure on him because he can.
He splits the European Union.
What he really wants is respect on an equal footing.
My God, it doesn't cost much to give him a little respect," Schönbach said.
The German Navy chief explains that a strong Russian partner is also needed in view of the world power China: "China is not the nice country that we probably think it is," says Schönbach with regard to the competition Great powers Russia, China and the USA - which quite a few experts see ending in a catastrophe.
Also because Russia is a Christian country, Admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach considers the sanctions against Russia to be wrong: “I am a devout Christian and believe in God.
And even if Vladimir Putin is an atheist himself, this old and big country is important - even if from our point of view it is not a democracy." The highest soldier in the Navy appealed that the relationship between Germany and Russia should be on the same level, like to the US.
Here is the full length recording:
"Does Russia really wants a small tiny strip of Ukraine soil? Or integrate in the country, no this is nonsense..Putin is probably putting pressure, cz he knows he can do it & it splits the EU..but what he really wants is high level respect", says German Navy Chief in Delhi https://t.co/qDeqQp408X pic.twitter.com/MICZ0O7U78
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) January 21, 2022
Crimea crisis: Vortex about Bundeswehr admiral - USA supply Ukraine with weapons
And the potential Russian archrival?
Amid the tensions, the United States is providing new military aid to Ukraine: a cargo plane landed near Kiev on Saturday, the American embassy said.
Ammunition "for front-line defense" was also on board.
The step was personally ordered by US President Joe Biden.
Further shipments to Ukraine from overseas will follow.
The move demonstrates the United States' strong commitment to Ukraine's sovereign right to self-defense.
Russia has repeatedly called for Ukraine not to continue to build up arms because this would fuel military tensions and could encourage the country to attack Donbass in the east of the ex-Soviet republic in order to take back breakaway parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US colleague Antony Blinken only met on Friday for crisis talks in Geneva. A short time later, a new air transport followed.
Meanwhile, the federal government is on a diplomatic tightrope act: Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) is sticking to the German “no” to arms deliveries to Ukraine. It is "consensus in the federal government" that such a step is "currently not helpful" in view of the acute situation, according to a statement to
Welt am Sonntag
. The new government must do everything to de-escalate the crisis.
According to reports, the non-arranged public appearance of the high-ranking German admiral caused concerned reactions, both in the defense department and in the Foreign Office: According to
Spiegel
information, Minister Lambrecht and Inspector General Eberhard Zorn discussed how to deal with the statements at a video conference scheduled at short notice Schönbach's bypasses.
Bundeswehr: Navy boss Schönbach has to report - career now over?
In the meantime, Kay-Achim Schönbach has apologized for the comments he made to the "Think Tank" in New Delhi.
His remarks were "imprudent and misjudged in the situation," "I shouldn't have done it like that," he said.
In addition, the person criticized rowed back to the effect that he had only given his personal opinion, but that this did not correspond to the course of the federal government.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz had recently campaigned for de-escalation.
In addition, Angela Merkel's successor turned down an invitation from US President Biden:
A clarifying conversation is said to take place between Officer Schönbach and Inspector General Zorn on Monday.
According to speculation, the 56-year-old's Bundeswehr career could even end abruptly in the worst case.
What exactly is the Crimea crisis about?
It was the trophy that was snatched from the Ottoman Empire in 1783 and is now the symbol of a Russian trauma: in 1954 it was given to Ukraine by the then Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev without any consideration.
When the USSR was dissolved, Ukraine as an independent state also lost the Russian Black Sea Fleet, because its most important base is the port city of Sevastopol.
Then, in 2014, the annexation, at which the potential NATO member country Ukraine and Russia cut their teeth.
Dealing with Nord Stream 2 in the Russia-Ukraine conflict also remains a contentious issue within the traffic light coalition.
(PF with dpa)