Panel of experts on the Ukraine war
Created: 03/29/2022, 11:17 am
Experts talk about the Ukraine war (from left): NATO liaison officer Detlef Göbbels, moderator Andreas Lohde and former Minister of State Reinhold Bocklet.
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Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine also occupies the students in the district.
Fürstenfeldbruck/Germering – In order to make the situation and history more comprehensible, the head of the Brucker FOS/BOS, Monika Pfahler, invited two experts, former Minister of State Reinhold Bocklet and ex-NATO liaison officer Detlev Göbbels.
Almost 1,200 students were able to listen to the experts through video switching in the classrooms of the technical colleges in Bruck and Germering.
The dialogue was moderated by teacher Andreas Lohde, who also established the contact.
Common Origin
Bocklet is considered a Russia expert, has met President Vladimir Putin in person several times and, as a member of the "Petersburg Dialogue", is still in possession of a permanent visa for Russia.
He explained that Russia and Ukraine have a common origin through Christianization around 988.
In a referendum in 1991, 90 percent of Ukrainians voted in favor of independence from Russia and their own state.
But despite this clear vote, Putin denies that Ukraine has its own cultural identity.
He feels vindicated by the fact that Ukraine has repeatedly vacillated between a western orientation and close ties with Russia.
You can read all further information on the Ukraine war and its effects in Bavaria here on our Ukraine refugees topic page.
Out of consideration for Russia, Ukraine's admission to NATO was rejected at the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest.
Bocklet and staff officer Göbbels agree that if the decision had been different at the time, there would not have been this conflict.
The lieutenant colonel emphasized that the Baltic states and Ukraine were not being courted by NATO, but had asked to be admitted so as not to run the risk of being occupied by Russian troops again in the future.
"People wanted freedom and they wanted to secure it."
Many questions
The students asked many questions via the chat.
Looking to the future, the speakers said that with every day of war Putin is isolating himself and his country more.
The deliberate misinformation, propaganda and fake news are being questioned more and more in their own country.
Bocklet and Göbbels are currently ruling out military intervention by NATO.
Putin underestimated the clout and motivation of the Ukrainians, and NATO and Europe have moved closer together than they have in a long time.
"A really good event," summed up Lennart from the S12 of FOS Germering.
You can find more current news from the district of Fürstenfeldbruck at Merkur.de/Fürstenfeldbruck.