Ukraine concern: "How can Putin get out of there while saving face?" Siko boss answers - and hopes

Created: 02/15/2022Updated: 02/15/2022 05:38

By: Florian Naumann

Siko boss Wolfgang Ischinger (right) is hoping for a de-escalation in the conflict with Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

© Alexei Nikolsky/Pool Sputnik Kremlin/AP/Wolfgang Kumm/dpa/fn

Can the Ukraine conflict still be de-escalated?

Siko boss Wolfgang Ischinger sees options - but he also directs uncomfortable questions to Vladimir Putin.

Berlin/Munich - The Ukraine conflict seems to be coming to a head - in any case, the date given by the USA as a possible point in time for a Russian invasion is approaching: government representatives last spoke on Wednesday, February 16th.

It was precisely in this tense situation that the Munich Security Conference (Siko) fell in 2022.

Its outgoing boss, Wolfgang Ischinger, gave an extremely mixed assessment of the situation on the Ukrainian border on Monday.

Ischinger emphasized "optimism" at a press conference - but priced a possible military conflict "in the next few hours and days" in an advice to the German public.

At the same time, the ex-diplomat said he still hopes that Russia will take part in the conference in Munich.

Ukraine conflict: Putin's way out of the confrontation?

Ischinger sees scope

"Of course, as a diplomat you always have to be optimistic in principle," said Ischinger. "As a diplomat for many years, I'm an optimist." This includes the hope that a war in Ukraine can still be avoided.

But he is just as unsure as the decision-makers.

"I hope that I'm not naive," said Ischinger.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) left for Ukraine on Monday morning - warnings of a possibly approaching war had also come from the federal government.

Ischinger also answered the journalists' question as to how Russia's President Vladimir Putin could get out of the conflict "face-saving" - in his answer, the long-time head of Siko referred above all to room for interpretation: some of the Russian demands ultimately mean that Ukraine should be treated militarily should be, "as if they did not want to become a NATO member," Ischinger explained.

Assurance of this is in principle "easy" for NATO.

Ukraine conflict: Siko boss addresses explosive question to Putin - "Does that mean that Crimea will go back to Ukraine?"

According to the NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997, neither significant troops nor nuclear weapons should be stationed in new member states, Ischinger explained.

What applies to countries for Romania, NATO can also guarantee Russia for Ukraine.

However, Russia would have to follow suit if NATO made a commitment - for example with a view to the Kaliningrad exclave.

The Siko boss openly regretted that NATO had concretely laid down the accession prospects of Ukraine and Georgia in 2008, albeit without specifying a date.

However, the policy of non-alignment cannot be abandoned.

At the same time, however, he turned the tables - and asked critical questions about the Kremlin's demands.

"If the Russian Federation says we have to roll back everything to 1997, does that mean that Crimea will go back to Ukraine, or does it mean that only the West has to roll back everything to 1997 and Russia doesn't have to do anything?" asked the expert rhetorically.

"These are serious questions that would be worth talking about if you were going to have a serious conversation in Munich," said Ischinger.

Ischinger emphasized that he does not rule out that such talks will take place at Siko: "I hope that we can not only talk about Russia, but also with Russia at the weekend in Munich," he explained.

Russia was explicitly invited to the talks.

He will "try everything to get an authorized Russian spokesman to Munich," said Ischinger.

Putin's government recently canceled participation.

Ukraine, Russia and other crises: Siko paper makes a sobering prognosis - G7 threaten Russia

Ischinger also presented Siko's new "Report" on Monday.

The authors of the paper make a sobering diagnosis: The societies in the countries examined, including Germany, were increasingly suffering from a form of "helplessness," according to the report.

Many people have an increased feeling of not being able to cope with the challenges.

The G7 group of leading industrialized countries includes Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada and the USA.

According to the MSK report, liberal democracies in particular seem to feel overwhelmed by the many crises.

The authors warn that this perception is highly dangerous because it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Consistent with this analysis, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier emphasized the strength and power of democracy on Sunday after his re-election.

Meanwhile, the G7 themselves have threatened Russia with extensive sanctions in the event of an attack on Ukraine.

A statement by the G7 finance ministers, also published in Berlin on Monday, said there would then be a quick, coordinated and powerful response.

The deployment of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border is a cause for great concern.

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