Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes that she is being made a “scapegoat” for the war in Ukraine due to her position at the NATO summit in 2008, when she blocked Kyiv’s path to a Membership Action Plan.
The move to expel him was utterly shameful. A lot of smart people ridicule pacifists and people believing in peace through trade etc. They should be ashamed. Schröder was a great chancellor and he should be praised for a lot of good decisions during his tenure. His vision to position Germany and Europe in the middle between the US and Russia was farsighted, still is today. He kept Germany out of the Iraq war, turned out he was very right about that. He also fostered a shift towards renewable energy.
A lot of good could be said about his years as chancellor yet smug online “experts” on foreign policy of course know everything much better lmao.
A majority of Germans hate Schröder, because he privatized important infrastructure and then went to “work” for Gazprom. He’s one of the top examples of corrupt German politicians and by supporting putins fascist regime he is in part guilty of causing russias wars, even though he may not have forseen them. russias domestic human rights violations were impossible to miss and as a German he should have known better for historic reasons.
Yes Schröder was also criticised rightfully for his neoliberal policies that so many socdem governments in the west introduced during these years. But IMO you also have to give him credit for the stuff he was right about, which is so rapidly forgotten. And having peaceful and tighter relationships with Russia, even if it is an authoritarian country, was one of his better ideas. As a European I want peace on this continent. And we’re not gonna have peace against Russia, only with Russia.
We’ll have peace when russia has been destroyed and split into multiple smaller democratic nations, like Germany back in the day. This has proven to be very effective.
The friendly way has been tried and it failed, as there is war right now. Remember, Ukraine was friends with russia. They gave their nukes and got guarantees to not be attacked. russia decided to backstab them. russia can never again be trusted. The only chance for peace for countries near russia must be enforced by constant threat of russias destruction. russians, who support the invasions by a large majority, must live at the mercy of their neighbours, who must be ready to wipe them out any moment.
If you think Russia can never be trusted you’d have to say the same about the other countries failing their security obligations. Those who guaranteed Ukraines territorial integrity, the US, the UK, didn’t act and send their own troops to stop the invasion.
IMO the friendly way hasn’t been tried as NATO also didn’t care about how Russia feels about this and that. The story is well known. There’s not a single country or single person to blame but many of the involved actors.
To me it’s lunacy to think Russia will be defeated and split up. Who’s going to defeat them? With which soldiers? Europe is an old continent, there are so few young people… It would be the final demise of the European economy having to fight a war with Russia. And do you consider the risks? Russia has nukes. Before anything even remotely to the scenario of being split up happens, it will have used them. No sane person can ignore this threat.
To me it’s lunacy to think Russia will be defeated and split up. Who’s going to defeat them? With which soldiers? Europe is an old continent, there are so few young people… It would be the final demise of the European economy having to fight a war with Russia. And do you consider the risks? Russia has nukes. Before anything even remotely to the scenario of being split up happens, it will have used them. No sane person can ignore this threat.
You do realize that in last ~100 years, 16 countries liberated themselves from russian occupation? Two other countries tried, but failed.
This is not a matter of directly fighting russia. There is also matter of not providing moral support for their genocidal imperialism, not providing financial support for their genocidal imperialism and targeting corruption (Schroder).
Peace through trade is not some sort of magical deus ex machina and it clearly did not work and will not work until russians start caring about the rights and the future of their children.
Plenty of blame to go around. Where is Gerhard Schroder these days?
Apparently his party wasn’t able to expell him and caved. Source in German: https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Miersch-erklaert-Gerhard-Schroeder-wieder-zum-Teil-der-SPD-article25321765.html
The move to expel him was utterly shameful. A lot of smart people ridicule pacifists and people believing in peace through trade etc. They should be ashamed. Schröder was a great chancellor and he should be praised for a lot of good decisions during his tenure. His vision to position Germany and Europe in the middle between the US and Russia was farsighted, still is today. He kept Germany out of the Iraq war, turned out he was very right about that. He also fostered a shift towards renewable energy.
A lot of good could be said about his years as chancellor yet smug online “experts” on foreign policy of course know everything much better lmao.
Wasn’t he literally on the Russian payroll? Cashing checks from gazprom.
A majority of Germans hate Schröder, because he privatized important infrastructure and then went to “work” for Gazprom. He’s one of the top examples of corrupt German politicians and by supporting putins fascist regime he is in part guilty of causing russias wars, even though he may not have forseen them. russias domestic human rights violations were impossible to miss and as a German he should have known better for historic reasons.
Yes Schröder was also criticised rightfully for his neoliberal policies that so many socdem governments in the west introduced during these years. But IMO you also have to give him credit for the stuff he was right about, which is so rapidly forgotten. And having peaceful and tighter relationships with Russia, even if it is an authoritarian country, was one of his better ideas. As a European I want peace on this continent. And we’re not gonna have peace against Russia, only with Russia.
We’ll have peace when russia has been destroyed and split into multiple smaller democratic nations, like Germany back in the day. This has proven to be very effective.
The friendly way has been tried and it failed, as there is war right now. Remember, Ukraine was friends with russia. They gave their nukes and got guarantees to not be attacked. russia decided to backstab them. russia can never again be trusted. The only chance for peace for countries near russia must be enforced by constant threat of russias destruction. russians, who support the invasions by a large majority, must live at the mercy of their neighbours, who must be ready to wipe them out any moment.
If you think Russia can never be trusted you’d have to say the same about the other countries failing their security obligations. Those who guaranteed Ukraines territorial integrity, the US, the UK, didn’t act and send their own troops to stop the invasion.
IMO the friendly way hasn’t been tried as NATO also didn’t care about how Russia feels about this and that. The story is well known. There’s not a single country or single person to blame but many of the involved actors.
To me it’s lunacy to think Russia will be defeated and split up. Who’s going to defeat them? With which soldiers? Europe is an old continent, there are so few young people… It would be the final demise of the European economy having to fight a war with Russia. And do you consider the risks? Russia has nukes. Before anything even remotely to the scenario of being split up happens, it will have used them. No sane person can ignore this threat.
You do realize that in last ~100 years, 16 countries liberated themselves from russian occupation? Two other countries tried, but failed.
This is not a matter of directly fighting russia. There is also matter of not providing moral support for their genocidal imperialism, not providing financial support for their genocidal imperialism and targeting corruption (Schroder).
Peace through trade is not some sort of magical deus ex machina and it clearly did not work and will not work until russians start caring about the rights and the future of their children.