We are living in a world of old and new conflicts. After a period of peace in Europe, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of the Soviet Union a new world was born, with one leading nation: the USA. The “world’s policeman” and “firefighter”. After the so-called “Arab Spring“, one would get a different impression. Two wars against Saddam and his “WMD”, the “uprising“ in Libya and the murder of the special friend of the USA, Muammar Gaddafi, and the war against the legitimate president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. In the end these countries descended into anarchy, civil war, and a flood of refugees: What a wonderful world.
This “world’s policeman“ uses his leading position to dictate to his satellites what to do in the Middle East and in central and eastern Europe as well. A non-enviable situation for Germany. Only one look at a map from 1990 and the present would clearly show the expansion of NATO to the East (Ukraine, Baltic States). No one talks with Russia, no one remembers Putin’s offer to build a new partnership between Germany, NATO and Russia in 2001. Why? Bit by bit the former Soviet Union falls into NATO’s sphere of influence, completely ignoring Russia’s security interests.
In the meantime more and more Western experts talk about the possibility of a new World War which I am strongly against. I prefer good relations with Russia and to learn from the past. There is not only Stalingrad, but also Tauroggen and Rapallo. We have lost too much blood for a new conflict.
My grandfather was a Bohemian (Austrian) soldier in World War I. In 1916 he was captured by the Russian army and was imprisoned in Irkutsk until 1925. I must admit I have no explanation why he stayed there for such a long period, despite the contract of Brest-Litovsk. Maybe there was more food in Baikal than in Bohemia at that time. Perhaps for other, very human, reasons…
My father was a soldier of the Wehrmacht in World War II. In January 1945, at the age of 18, a Russian bailiff met him near Breslau. He lost one eye, but not his life. He became a successful architect.
And now I’m the first of the last three generations who is not a soldier fighting against Russia and will not be in the future. And this applies to my three-year-old son. I have visited Russia and of course Irkutsk and Baikal. I love to listen to Tschaikowski and Mussorgski, experience the Russian soul and cheerfulness, Russian culture.
Germany, located in the geographical centre of Europe, must have an adequate political position between the West and the East. Unfortunately, chancellor Merkel follows the policy of the West, of the United States. We need a policy which serves German interests: a bridge between the West and the East.
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