As of: March 27, 2024, 12:47 p.m
By: Nils Hinsberger
Comments
Press
Split
The criticism of parliamentary group leader Mützenich does not go away.
Now SPD leader Klingbeil is defending him.
He couldn't understand the "overwrought reactions".
Berlin – SPD co-chairman Lars Klingbeil has defended a controversial statement by his party colleague Rolf Mützenich about the war in Ukraine.
The group leader had spoken of a possible freeze in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
With his statements, Mützenich caused considerable uproar and received criticism from the ranks of the traffic light coalition.
Klingbeil told the
editorial network Germany (RND)
that he considered the allegations against Mützenich to be “absurd”.
During a speech in the Bundestag, Mützenich asked whether it wasn't time "that we not only talk about how to fight a war, but also think about how we can freeze a war and end it later."
Even during his speech, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) was obviously irritated and shaking her head.
Party colleague and Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said after the speech that one cannot “just freeze a war like this and then hope that things will get better.”
“Securing peace” as the core of political action – Klingbeil defends Mützenich
Klingbeil makes it clear that Mützenich's statement should not be understood as a suggestion to freeze the war in Ukraine.
Rather, he is concerned with “the fact that it must also be possible to have a debate about how to achieve peace,” said Klingbeil.
“I think that’s right.” He also has no understanding of the fact that the desire for peace is portrayed as something “disreputable”.
There is political consensus that “securing peace is at the core of all our actions,” the SPD leader told the
RND
.
SPD party leader Lars Klingbeil (r) defends the statement by parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich (l.).
He had spoken of a “freezing” of the Ukraine war.
© Fionn Große/dpa
Furthermore, no one would want peace in the ongoing conflict more than the Ukrainians themselves. Klingbeil therefore believes that to accuse Mützenich of a lack of support for Ukraine is “absurd”.
He is an active supporter of German military aid for Ukraine.
Klingbeil complains about the “narrow” German debate in the Ukraine war
“Neither in the Bundestag nor in the Federal Chancellery” nor anywhere else would it be defined when and how Ukraine should conduct negotiations with Russia, said Klingbeil.
This decision lies solely in the hands of Ukraine itself. President Volodymyr Zelensky himself would also support peace negotiations.
With his statement, Mützenich showed that the debate in this regard has been “very narrowed”.
The SPD leader considers allegations that the SPD is playing into Russia’s hands to be “infamous”.
Given the “excited and over-the-top reactions of members of the Bundestag from other parties,” he could understand that people were irritated by the debate in Germany.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz accused parts of the SPD of relapsing “to their old naivety towards Russia”.
The FDP chairman Wolfgang Kubicki even insinuates Mützenich to the
RND
that he is “at war with our constitution”.
My news
Baby happiness after the end of his career: Olympic ski champion becomes a father for the first time a few days after retirement
Bankruptcy of German industry giant: next traditional company goes bankrupt
“Technical problems” with the Leopard: Denmark points to Germany after bumpy Ukraine donation
Prisoner escapes while being treated at the clinic - and is caught two days later after being tipped off
Sweater, park bench, daffodils: The hidden messages in Princess Kate's video reading
Adventurer makes longed-for discovery in the forest: “I’ve known it exists for more than five years” read
Ukraine ambassador “disagrees with the freeze”
If the war with Russia were to be frozen, there would be a risk that the population in the territories occupied by Russia would continue to be tortured, raped and expelled, said Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksiy Makejew on
Deutschlandfunk
.
“That’s why we don’t agree with the freezing.”
However, Makejew cannot complain about a lack of support from the SPD.
In the past few days he has met with some party representatives, including Mützenich.
“I was assured that there would be no change in Germany’s support and the SPD’s support for Ukraine,” said Makeyev.
Klingbeil also emphasized the willingness to help: “We stand united and united on the side of Ukraine.
We support Ukraine as comprehensively as we can,” he said in the
RND
interview.
Despite everyone's willingness to help, it is important not to become part of the conflict with Russia's ruler Vladimir Putin.
The German population is primarily concerned about “not being drawn into the war,” said Klingbeil.
“That’s what moves people.
Peace is not the same as giving in to Putin, peace is something very desirable.”
(nhi)