Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

German president Steinmeier admits ‘bitter failure’ of policy on Russia

German president Steinmeier admits ‘bitter failure’ of policy on Russia

There must be no peace with Russia as long as Russian troops remain within Ukraine’s borders, Germany’s president said on Friday, in an impassioned state of the nation speech about Berlin’s foreign policy.

“In the face of evil, goodwill is not enough,” Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s ceremonial head of state, said in a public address outlining his country’s place in the world.
Ceremonial head of state’s mea culpa reflects the shock Putin’s war on Ukraine has had on the ‘old ways of thinking’

Germany was facing its “deepest crisis” since reunification, he said: “Russia’s brutal war of aggression in Ukraine has reduced the European security order to ashes.”

Steinmeier spoke shortly after returning from Kyiv — his first visit to Ukraine since the war began in February. At one point during the trip he was forced to shelter because of a Russian air raid.

The speech underlines the shock Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has inflicted on decades of German foreign policy. Twice German foreign minister — including during Russia’s 2013 invasion of Crimea — Steinmeier was for years one of Europe’s most vocal proponents of compromise with Moscow.

“When we look at today’s Russia, there is no place for old dreams,” he said, speaking from his official residence, the Bellevue Palace.

The invasion “marked the definitive, bitter failure of years of political efforts, including my efforts”, he added.

Russia’s war was “despicable and cynical, lacking regard for human life”, he told an audience of dignitaries and young Germans that included Ukraine’s ambassador. The speech was broadcast live on Germany’s main television channel.

“A supposed peace that rewards acts like this, a peace that seals Putin’s land grabs, is no peace,” he continued, urging his fellow Germans — many of whom are deeply pacifist as a result of their country’s own bloody history — to face up to an “epochal shift” under way in Europe.

Settling with Putin “would mean a rule of terror for many people in Ukraine [and] would leave them at the mercy of their Russian occupiers’ arbitrary violence”, he said.

“Worse yet — a sham peace like this would only increase Putin’s hunger. Moldova and Georgia, as well as our Nato partners in the Baltic, live in fear . . . An unjust peace is no peace — it carries the seed of new wars within it.”

The 66-year-old president has been criticised by the Ukrainian government for his equivocation towards Moscow. In April he pulled out of a trip to Ukraine with fellow European presidents after Kyiv made clear he was not welcome — a snub that temporarily soured relations between Kyiv and Berlin and led to chancellor Olaf Scholz cancelling his own trip. Scholz eventually went to Kyiv in June.

“We must cast off old ways of thinking and our old hopes,” Steinmeier said on Friday. “We are not living in an ideal world. We are living in conflict.”

He also addressed the thorny issue of Germany’s military contribution towards Kyiv — which he described as “life-saving” — and said Germans needed to become more comfortable with being a military power in the future.

“For a long time we were able to rely on others . . . but now others must also be able to rely on us,” he said. “This society needs strong armed forces. And the armed forces need a society that supports them.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
×