As of: 02/22/2022 7:15 p.m
Putin’s course against Ukraine has met with harsh criticism both internationally and in Germany. But there are also voices that defend his actions.
By Patrick Gensing and Carla Reveland, tagesschau.de
After the announcement that troops would be sent to Ukraine, international pressure on Russia increased. The main debate is which sanctions should take effect immediately. In Germany, too, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been sharply criticized.
The AfD parliamentary group, on the other hand, is reluctant to criticize. A press release states that one regrets the “current development and worsening of the situation”. However, one should not “make the mistake of attributing sole responsibility for this development to Russia.” The situation is a consequence of the “eastern expansion of NATO, which was pushed ahead contrary to all agreements with Moscow”. In doing so, the West “violated Russia’s legitimate security interests.” The AfD rejects sanctions against Russia.
Berlin AfD politician Gunnar Lindemann posted fireworks on Twitter to celebrate Russia’s recognition of the “People’s Republics”.
Lindemann travels to Russia again and again, including as an “election observer” in 2021.
Media from the right-wing extremist milieu also follow the Russian course. That’s what it says in that extremist classified COMPACT magazine, Putin’s military action is “defensive”. “After days of attacks by Ukrainian forces on the Donbass republics, Moscow’s step serves to protect the population there.”
Parts of the left are distancing themselves
The left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht, who has repeatedly emphasized in recent weeks that Russian security interests must also be taken into account, said on Monday in the NDR-InterviewPutin and Russia are not concerned with wanting to invade Ukraine, but with whether Russia wants to continue to accept that NATO is expanding more and more.*
Wagenknecht was already there on Sunday Anne Will claims Russia has no interest in invading. She spoke of an “aggressiveness” on the part of the USA, with which a Russian invasion was supposedly being talked about.
Dagdelen condemns Putin’s course
The left-wing member of the Bundestag Sevim Dagdelen had accused the USA of “warmongering and warmongering” at a rally in Berlin. She called Ukraine’s actions a “declaration of war on Russia.”
Regarding the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine, however, she now declared: “The recognition of unilateral declarations of independence and the subsequent invasion of the Russian armed forces into the so-called ‘people’s republics’ of Donetsk and Luhansk is contrary to international law and can only be condemned, just like we always do violations of international law condemned by NATO or members of NATO, such as the separation and recognition of Kosovo.”
Unlike the Berlin Association of Left Youth Solid, which is close to the party and is recognized by it as a youth organization. A photo of Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on her recent visit to eastern Ukraine was tweeted there under the headline “No to imperialist wars! No to NATO! The main enemy is still at home!”
Bartsch in criticism
So far, the left has not found a unified line on Russia, so Wagenknecht’s positions represent a current in the party, while other top politicians on the left, on the other hand, criticize Russia’s course. The unilateral recognition of the two People’s Republics by Russia also referred to Wagenkneckt tagesschau.de but “clear breach of the Minsk Agreement”.
However, Dietmar Bartsch, chairman of the left faction, was criticized for a wording in a tweet. He described the recognition of the “People’s Republics” on Ukrainian territory and the deployment of troops as a “wrong decision”.
Many commentators saw this as trivialization. Bartsch reacted to the criticism and made it clear: “The recognition of the ‘People’s Republics’ and the invasion of Russian troops into the Ukraine further escalate the conflict. This is by no means a ‘peace mission’, it violates international law”.
*Editor’s note: In an earlier version of this report, the impression was given that Sahra Wagenkencht “understood” Russia’s recognition of the two People’s Republics. Mrs. Wagenknecht attaches importance to the statement that this impression is “grossly wrong”. We have corrected the message accordingly.