- Damian McGinneth
- BBC Berlin
Zelensky has expressed his anger that German companies continue to operate in Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told deputies of the German parliament, the Bundestag, that a new wall, similar to the Berlin Wall, was being built to separate freedom and oppression in Europe.
Zelensky thanked Germany for its support during the ongoing Russian invasion, but expressed his discomfort, when listening to some deputies from the Bundestag, criticizing the government’s energy policies, and considered this a contribution from them, in building the new separation wall in Europe.
Over the past week, Zelensky sent strong messages to the countries allied to Ukraine.
Zelensky addressed a speech last Wednesday to US Congressmen, reminding them of the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, and the attack of September 11th. / September.
On Tuesday, Zelensky called on the Canadian parliament to imagine bombs and missiles falling on Canadian cities, such as Toronto and Vancouver.
While his speech last week before the British House of Commons included similes and words repeated by the former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, during the times of World War II.
His emotional address to the Bundestag was finely crafted, designed to touch the feelings of many East German-born citizens, with historical hints they know well.
During the Cold War, Germany engaged in long-running talks that ultimately contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall and German unity.
Throughout the subsequent period, Germany attempted to use trade, economics, and power line connections to peacefully integrate Russia into the West.
But most of these hopes were completely destroyed by the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine three weeks ago.
It seems that the general trend in Germany, today, is that this trend was completely wrong in dealing with Putin, his authoritarian regime, and his corrupt government.
And Zelensky expressed his anger at some German businessmen, who are doing trade, and their companies are still operating in Russia until now.
Germany canceled preparations for the opening of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to import Russian gas, which Zelensky considered “the cement that was to be used to build the new separation wall” in Europe, adding that Germany’s laziness in making the effort to join Ukraine in the European Union was “another stone” that was used. in the construction of the new wall.
“Dear Mr. Schulz, tear down this wall,” Zelensky said, repeating the phrases used by former US President Ronald Reagan in demanding the former Soviet Union in 1987 while standing at the Brannenberg gate in Berlin.
Of course, a large number of German ministers will agree with him in this speech, including deputies of the Green Party, which participates in the ruling coalition and is responsible for the energy portfolio, within the responsibilities of the Ministry of Economy, and the party has been organizing a campaign once morest the “Nord Stream 2” for many years.
Even those who supported the Russian gas pipeline for a while changed their minds, but in a recent speech, Schultz referred to it as a non-political matter.
But as Russian forces massed on the Ukrainian border just before the invasion began, Shultz unexpectedly announced that the new gas line, which had already been completed and put into operation, would not be operational.
Zelensky used a German Cold War narrative in his speech, calling for a no-fly zone over Ukraine and the establishment of an air bridge to protect it, just as Berlin was protected by the Allied air forces during World War II, in 1948 and 1949.
He also reminded Germany of its responsibility to compensate the world for Nazi crimes in Ukraine, saying that Ukrainian cities were destroyed for the second time in 80 years.
This is a successful tactic because Germany behaves well when it feels guilty, but so far there is no time available, for national expressions of praise, or to evoke cases of repentance, and to search for atonement for sins.,