In the meantime, the West is encouraging itself

The Munich Security Conference ended after three days with dire warnings: In the coming days, Europe is threatened with the outbreak of “perhaps the biggest war in Europe since 1945,” confirmed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US Vice President Kamala Harris and top representatives of NATO and the EU had previously described the situation in a similar way. Uncertainty as to whether Vladimir Putin would attack Ukraine from four directions and advance to the capital Kiev after the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing also dominated the debates on Sunday.

Indications that Russia was using covert operations to construct a pretext to justify an invasion to allegedly protect citizens with Russian passports were analyzed with concern. One alarm was Russian reports that Ukrainians had blown up the car of the separatists’ “police chief” in the “Donetsk People’s Republic”.

the Analysis of the images revealed that a cheap old vehicle had explodedto which someone had mounted the plates of the company car – and not the new, expensive model that the police chief uses.

Sympathy for Ukraine, long applause for Zelenskyj

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Sunday that Ukrainian provocations could lead to “irreparable consequences”.

For the first time in many years, Russia declined the invitation to the dialogue and did not send a representative to Munich. There, many lamented Putin’s disinformation campaigns. On Tuesday he had announced the withdrawal of troops. Instead, more marched.

The Kremlin had promised that the maneuvers with Belarus would end on Sunday and that all Russian units would return home. Now they stay in Belarus after all.

The sympathies at the conference are clearly with the Ukraine. Its President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was greeted with long applause on Saturday. “I don’t think that applies to me, but to Ukraine and our soldiers,” he thanked. To then complain: his country receives many words of solidarity, but too few actions.

Putin is practicing with nuclear weapons, the EU is looking for the language of power

While Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko oversaw nuclear missile exercises over the weekend in a blatant attempt to intimidate Western citizens, the debates in Munich resembled for much of a Western talk to themselves. And on Sunday, Europeans talk to themselves .

German and European politicians demanded that Europe improve its defense capabilities. “Europe must learn to speak the language of power,” said Charles Michel, President of the European Council, the body of EU heads of government.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell demanded that the EU must be able to mobilize and move troops, if necessary without the help of NATO and the USA. In addition to the “language of power”, the EU should also use the “power of language”, Borrell continued.

The self-determination of sovereign states is one of the principles of the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which Russia has signed. These principles are non-negotiable.

Between Russia and the members of the EU and NATO, people lived in “swing states,” said Borrell. The West must give them orientation and the certainty that they can rely on the international order.

Secretary of Defense Lambrecht: We’re putting more money into the military

When the Italian moderator Nathalie Tocci remarked that the Europeans “tend to talk a lot and write papers, but we also have to be able to act,” Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) reiterated Chancellor Scholz’s promise from Saturday: Germany will spend more money in Germany stuck the military.

Her French colleague Florence Parly said: “We need a stronger Europe in the area of ​​security and defence.” Despite comparable economic power and military spending on the military, the EU has far fewer capabilities than the USA.

The large number of different systems drives up the costs. The EU must not only be able to react to threats on its external borders, but also to threats that are further away, such as terrorists in the Sahel or the situation in the Indo-Pacific.

Merz defends the traffic light: No reason for Germany bashing

The new opposition leader in the Bundestag, Friedrich Merz (CDU), did not reveal any differences with the federal government in Munich. Ukraine’s NATO membership is out of the question in the foreseeable future; as well as admission to the EU.

Merz even protected the traffic light. He sees no reason for “Germany bashing”. The Federal Republic is a reliable partner. It fulfills its European obligations and its global responsibility.
He warned of a wave of refugees from Ukraine if war came. And said with a skeptical undertone: The question is whether the European Union is really preparing for such a development or not.

China distances itself from Russia

The appearance of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday caused a stir. He made it clear that Beijing would strongly condemn a Russian attack on Ukraine. Ukraine claims sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

Wang Yi called for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict based on international law and a return to the Minsk Agreement. “Why can’t all sides sit down and have detailed talks and work out a timetable on how to implement this agreement?” he asked.

“That’s what all parties should be doing, what they should be concentrating on — rather than raising tensions, fomenting panic and maybe even chanting the risk of war like a sensation.”