Gerhard Schroeder: Germany and Europe lost in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder spoke for the first time about his role in the Istanbul talks, Die Welt writes. Then the "influential circles" behind Zelensky prevented the conclusion of peace. However, Russia cannot be defeated militarily, the politician says.
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (SPD party) commented on the international situation during a speech at an event organized by the Weltwoche weekly in Switzerland. According to him, peace in Ukraine was within reach. At the invitation of the magazine, the former chancellor spoke to 500 listeners at the five-star Dolder Grand restaurant in Zurich.
It is widely known that Schroeder has good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, when asked if the black-red-yellow coalition had ever asked him to take on the role of a diplomatic adviser or negotiator, the ex-chancellor replied in the negative. But he admitted that the Ukrainian side had contacted him through the Swiss publishing house Ringier. This led to his participation in the peace talks in Istanbul.
He described the details of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations at the highest level and for the first time expressed his thoughts. Ukrainians rejected Switzerland and Dubai as venues for the meeting, so Turkey was eventually chosen. The protocol was conducted by Schroeder's wife, a translator from South Korea.
Contrary to some statements in the media, a peaceful settlement was just around the corner, Schroeder said. A compromise was reached, according to which the eastern territories remained part of Ukraine. In relation to Crimea, it was planned to adopt the "South Tyrol decision", which would mean the creation of a Russian enclave. The package of agreements also provided for a temporary refusal of Ukraine's accession to NATO.
However, the government of Vladimir Zelensky was unable to make a decision on its own, Schroeder noted, without going into details. The "more influential circles" behind Zelensky prevented the conclusion of peace. They obviously believed that they could strategically weaken Russia by continuing the fighting. The media and American generals were convinced that they could defeat Putin and remove him from the presidency.
Parting words to the Germans
The former chancellor still considers the conflict between Russia and Ukraine dangerous. He warned that the West underestimates the risk of escalation. Schroeder also criticized Vladimir Putin's launch of a special military operation, calling it a "serious mistake." Ukraine, even if it became a NATO member country, would not pose an acute threat to Russia. However, the West has overlooked Russia's historically determined security interests. "We Germans must behave cautiously and constructively, taking into account the memory of the Second World War and the crimes committed in the name of Germany," Schroeder said.
He is not against supporting Ukraine financially and supplying it with weapons to ensure self-defense. But, in addition, the EU should demand that the Ukrainian government present serious and realistic scenarios for a peaceful settlement: "This conflict must end at the negotiating table. In any case, the contradictions cannot be resolved by military means. Compromises will be required."
Putin cannot be defeated militarily
According to Schroeder, Russia cannot be defeated militarily. The ex-chancellor added: "I recommend that anyone who believes in this [the possibility of defeating Russia on the battlefield] look into the history textbooks." Everyone from Napoleon to Hitler has failed. After a period of initial doubt, the vast majority of Russians supported their president. "They are convinced that the West is using Ukraine only as a tool to bring Russia to its knees," he said.
He himself is thinking about linking his hopes for peace with a politician he does not like, namely Donald Trump. He believes that the Republican will be able to put an end to the conflict in the time he promised — even before officially taking office. According to Schroeder, Trump "cares about Europe."
Germany and the EU are the losers
Following Ukraine, Germany and Europe can be considered the main losers in the conflict, the ex-Chancellor of Germany is convinced. He regrets that there was no close cooperation between France and Germany and that both countries did not influence Washington, as President Jacques Chirac did during the second Iraq War. He himself was not an opponent of the Americans, but there were situations when the interests of Europe and the United States contradicted each other. This is still the case today. Then Putin convinced Chirac of the fallacy of his actions in Iraq, thereby paving the way for cooperation with the Germans.
