"We're waging war!" Ernst jumps in at Wagenknecht - Green coolly reminds of Putin's first step

Created: 09/15/2022, 11:54 am

Visiting Sandra Maischberger: Klaus Ernst left-wing politician and chairwoman of the Committee on Climate Protection and Energy.

© WER/Oliver Ziebe

A discussion between Klaus Ernst (Left Party) and Marieluise Beck (Green Party) about the sanctions against Russia is heating up tempers.

Bärbel Bas does not want an energy bonus. 

Berlin – Germany's role in the Ukraine war also provides fuel for Sandra Maischberger's ARD talk on Wednesday.

A hook and a trigger: The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had expressed his disappointment about Germany on Twitter: "Not a single reasonable argument as to why these weapons cannot be delivered - only abstract fears and excuses."

What is Berlin afraid of while Kyiv is not?”

For

journalist Helene Bubrowski, this is "a good question to which the federal government has still not given a very clear answer".

In contrast to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) has now positioned herself clearly.

She demands that battle tanks be delivered quickly.

Ulrich Wickert: "We are being taken for fools"

"Daily issues" legend Ulrich Wickert complains about Christine Lambrecht (SPD): The defense minister says publicly that one can no longer deliver.

At the same time, 100 Marder tanks were standing around in an industrial yard in this country.

The US Ambassador wished that Germany would make a little more progress.

"We're being taken for idiots," says Wickert angrily.

ARD correspondent Julie Kurz suspects a communication strategy behind it.

"If you look at the lists, it's not as if we didn't deliver anything," says Kurz.

At the same time, the chancellor emphasized like a mantra not to go it alone internationally.

Scholz may have in mind that the population does not only approve of arms deliveries.

"That's why he might prefer to be portrayed as the one who is being driven," suspects Kurz.

"Maischberger" - these guests discussed with:

• Klaus Ernst (left)

  - Chairman of the Committee on Climate Protection and Energy

• Marieluise Beck (Greens)

  – “Center for Liberal Modernism”

• Bärbel Bas (SPD)

  - President of the Bundestag

As experts: 

• Helene Bubrowski -

  FAZ

  journalist

• Ulrich Wickert

   – author and former “Tagesthemen” presenter

• Julie Kurz

   - ARD capital correspondent

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Sahra Wagenknecht (left) recently caused a stir with her speech in the Bundestag, in which she called for an immediate end to the sanctions against Russia.

The sanctions would not hit Russia, instead they would plunge millions of German families into poverty.

Wagenknecht spoke of the "stupidest government in Europe" and asked himself: "How stupid is that?"

Ernst is amazed that Russia has been supplying gas for so long

Left-wing politician Klaus Ernst, who defended the content of the speech, is a guest at Maischberger.

He also emphasizes that Germany is waging an economic war against Russia.

“We impose the sanctions ourselves, so we wage war,” says Ernst.

Russia is fighting back and is now turning off the gas.

"I don't understand the excitement at all," says Ernst.

"For me it was rather surprising that Russia continued to supply gas for so long."

The Green foreign expert Marieluise Beck contradicts this vigorously.

In preparation for the war in Ukraine, Putin had already ensured that the German gas storage facilities were no longer filled as agreed.

"That was a systematic preparation for waging a war against us, with the weapon that he happens to have against the West," Beck is certain.

Beck gets a lot of applause when she promotes sensitivity in dealing with the Baltic States and Poland.

Both looked closely at how Germany reacted.

"In the course of their history, they have been attacked by both the German Wehrmacht and the Soviet army," Beck recalls.

Lifting the sanctions would lead to an immense loss of confidence, she warns.

“There are two prominent party exits related to this speech, Fabio de Masi and Ulrich Schneider.

Is Sahra Wagenknecht damaging her party with this kind of polarization?” asks Maischberger.

However, there is no answer to this question because a courageous argument broke out about the effect of the sanctions.

While Beck is surprised at Ernst's "coldness" and accuses him of having no sympathy for the people of Ukraine, Ernst turns the tables.

The sanctions are even fueling the war.

Ernst rummages around in his jacket, first in the right inside pocket, then in the left.

Finally, he conjures up a graphic that he wants to use to show that the Russian economy is benefiting from the sanctions, while the German economy is suffering.

“Russia deserves money from this war.

Bärbel Bas is in favor of arms deliveries

Sandra Maischberger discussed the energy crisis and the impact on people with the President of the Bundestag, Bärbel Bas (SPD).

After her visit to the Ukraine, Bas speaks of a "turning point in time in my head" and a "change of mind".

She has always pleaded for peace without weapons and "only knew war from the history books".

Among others, Bas met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We have to give the support that we can give.

Nevertheless, we shouldn't do it alone, but coordinate it with our partners," says Bas.

Maischberger then elicits a clearer confession from her: "Ukraine needs our weapons and they would not be ready now if we had not already supported them."

A few days ago, however, Bas had wished for "a little more differentiation in the relief package".

She will also get 300 euros, although she does not need this bonus.

"In the crises, people are hit differently and those who have very, very little are hit particularly hard." After the interview, she received a lot of feedback from people who said they didn't need the 300 euros and would have them prefer to be distributed to people who are more affected by rising energy prices.

Conclusion of the "Maischberger" talk

While the experts agree in many areas, Klaus Ernst and Marieluise Beck provide the highlight of the show with their passionate discussion.

Bärbel Bas surprises with her clear commitment to the delivery of weapons and the offer to give her personal energy bonus.