Habeck stunned by Putin's "idiocy" - Minister admits to "Illner": "We leave the Ukrainians alone"

Created: 02/25/2022, 10:13 am

The talk show on "maybrit illner Ukraine Spezial" (ZDF).

© Svea Pietschmann/ZDF

What means does the West have to stop Putin?

Maybrit Illner asks about the possibilities of dealing with the massive Russian aggression. 

Berlin - Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) describes Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine as pure "idiocy".

"Rationally," says Habeck in "Maybrit Illner"*, "this war cannot be explained."

The former Brigadier General Erich Vad sees it very differently in the ZDF talk.

He warns against underestimating Putin: "Not idiotic, but very coldly power-political," he said.

The invasion was also almost "scripted like a screenplay".

means father.

The fact that Crimea and Donbass are so important to Putin* has to do with the strategic importance of the regions, military control is needed in order to “maintain Russia as a great power”.

The military warns that the West must "be careful" that the Russian President "does not get an appetite" and, in view of the military successes, slips into "irrationality".

Vad sees only one way: "We can't do that with economic sanctions," said the ex-general, "we can only do that with hardcore military power."

"Anything else," said the military expert, "Putin doesn't buy from us."

Maybrit Illner actually wanted to take a break this week.

However, due to the dramatic situation in Ukraine*, ZDF rescheduled the entire evening program and started two special talk shows with a different selection of guests.

Ukraine War: Talk at "Maybrit Illner" - these guests discussed with:

• Erich Vad -

  German brigadier general a.

  D., from 2006 to 2013 military policy advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel

• Melanie Amann -

  Head of

  Spiegel

  - Capital Office

In the first part: 

• Lars Klingbeil (SPD) -

  party chairman

• Marina Weisband (Greens)

  - German-Ukrainian publicist, connected

In the second part: 

• Robert Habeck (Greens)

  - Vice Chancellor and Economics Minister

• Siegmar Gabriel (SPD)

  - Chairman North Atlantic

Marina Weisband, born in Ukraine*, describes the dramatic situation on site, part of her family is currently hiding from possible bomb attacks.

Weisband is certain that the goal behind the invasion is to create a "rump Ukraine with a puppet government" and to end democracy.

Weisband: "Putin* fears nothing more than his own people being infected with democracy and ending his, Putin's, own kleptocracy."

Habeck admits that he understands that Ukrainians "feel left alone".

"This is what we do.

We'll leave them alone.” Nevertheless, he sticks to the western course.

States firmly: no military interventions, resistance with economic means.

Illner is skeptical, asks Habeck: "Can economic sanctions stop the troops in Ukraine?" He answers honestly: "No, I don't think so." At best, they would "prevent further disaster."

The sanctions would cut Russia off from technological development in the medium term, and the Russian middle class would also be weakened.

But it took months for that to be felt.

Habeck had already expressed his emotions about the Ukraine crisis on Wednesday with ARD talker Sandra Maischberger.

Ex-Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) explains: "We will need staying power." The incumbent SPD leader Lars Klingbeil previously predicted that the sanctions would also "hit Germany hard".

Habeck's plan to stop dependence on Russia with a European energy turnaround and thus solve the Putin problem does not sound mature yet: "You can't do business with warmongers."

According to Habeck, it is "about now that everyone has understood" that energy policy "in times like these" always has "geopolitical influences", but leaves open when it was ever different.

Ex-General demands a reorganization of the military in Europe and military strength

Illner asks whether the old idea of ​​“change through trade” has failed.

Habeck says: "Yes" - and sticks to his assessment that dealing with Putin was "naive".

Former General Vad, who now works as a management consultant, still thinks the core of the idea is right and emphasizes that in other times Russia, as “Europe's major energy supplier”, has brought the continent enormously forward.

Illner dares to look into the future.

Half of all oil and a third of all gas in Germany comes from Russia, she warns.

The energy supply is “secured” for the time being, Habeck promises.

Vad emphasizes once again that "military strength" is needed again in Europe.

The ex-general: "If you don't have a powerful armed force, you will quickly reach your limits in foreign policy." One of the reasons why Germany has not delivered any weapons to Ukraine is that the "depots are empty" and you don't have enough weapons for the missions myself.

"Europe must reposition itself in terms of defense and security policy," demands Vad.

"We have to spend more money on the Bundeswehr," agrees Klingbeil, but also says: "NATO is stronger than it has been for a long time."

Vad is skeptical about that.

Putin only takes NATO seriously when the United States is at the table.

Conclusion of the "Maybrit Illner" talk

Putin's attack on Ukraine revealed Germany's political mistakes overnight.

Above all, the view of the Bundeswehr and armaments expenditure seems to be changing now.