As of: February 1, 2024, 5:30 p.m
By: Georg Anastasiadis
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Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) at the special EU summit in Brussels.
A comment from Merkur editor-in-chief Georg Anastasiadis.
© Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/dpa/Klaus Haag
The world-historical emergency is forcing Chancellor Olaf Scholz to become a driving force in Brussels.
50 billion EU dollars for the defense of Ukraine are an important signal to Moscow.
A comment by Georg Anastasiadis.
In the budget debate in the Berlin Bundestag on Wednesday, German citizens were much surprised to see a new, aggressive Chancellor.
His appearance on the European stage the next day was just as energetic: In Brussels, Olaf Scholz is no longer the old hesitant, but the driver who - after Joe Biden has become a "lame duck" in the US Congress and Trump has left the common European house wants to move out – 50 EU billion organized for the defense of Ukraine.
It was not his temperament that pushed him into the unloved leadership role, but rather the world-historical need: in terms of domestic policy, the traffic light chancellor has nothing left to lose, but in terms of foreign policy, without his big brother, the USA, there is a risk of the collapse of the European peace order if Russia succeeds in establishing Ukraine as a state to wipe it off the map.
Putin's speeches should be taken seriously
Putin now openly admits that he wants this.
And his speeches should be taken seriously: With his threats against the Baltic states and the expansion of accusations of fascism to NATO countries, the Kremlin ruler is currently preparing his Russians for further conquests.
This is how the war against Ukraine began.
If Kiev's front falls and the Baltics are attacked, Germany would be in a NATO defense situation.
In no background conversation with top German politicians, current or former, is there a warning about further expansion of Greater Russia in three or four years.
A capitulation peace, which Sahra Wagenknecht and the AfD believe Kiev should submit to, will not help.
On the contrary, this would only give Putin time to regroup offensive forces and then attack other countries.
The 50 billion with which the EU wants to support Kiev until 2027 after yesterday's summit decision is an important signal to Moscow: Europe will not abandon Ukraine.
This strengthens Kiev's position - and hopefully increases the Kremlin's willingness to agree to real negotiations one day.
George Anastasiadis