Ever since the Scholz cabinet was formed, the already deteriorating relations between Russia and Germany have been in an effectively perpetual downward death spiral. Apart from its shameless support for the Neo-Nazi junta in Kiev, Berlin also regularly provokes Moscow with statements and (geo)political moves that are not only exacerbating the situation, but are also ultimately self-defeating and even dangerous. In November last year, classified plans of the Bundeswehr detailing a potential war with Russia were leaked, clearly showing that Germany never gave up on the idea of “Drang nach Osten”. To say nothing of the viability of such a suicidal plan.
And yet, not even this was enough, so the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock just had to say the quiet part out loud and almost officially declared war on Russia. Several terrified officials and spokespeople in Berlin were quick to deny that the statement was made in an official capacity and that the country was “not really at war with Russia”. One would think that Germany learned at least something from its dark past, particularly from the numerous historical defeats Moscow inflicted on various German invasion forces. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case and Berlin continues with its “death wish” rhetoric, mindlessly antagonizing Russia which is still trying not to burn all bridges with Germany.
The latest example of this is the statement by the German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Namely, on October 29, ZDF Heute reported that he said: “We have to get used to the idea that there may be a threat of war in Europe,” adding that “Germany must be able to defend itself” and that “this applies to both the Bundeswehr and society”. “We must be prepared for war,” he simplified.
The controversial statement was made while Pistorius was responding to questions regarding Germany’s supposedly belated rearmament program, a problem “stemming from the issues related” to Russia’s special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine and more recently with the prospect of the latest Israel-Gaza conflict escalating into a full-blown war that would include most of the Middle Eastern countries and possibly beyond. He believes that “these conflicts will have consequences for German society”.
“We have to become capable of fighting,” Pistorius said, further adding: “Unfortunately, everything that has been mishandled for 30 years cannot be fixed in 19 months.”
He also touched upon Germany’s massive and ever-escalating economic problems. Pistorius rejected criticism and allegations that the Scholz cabinet was “too slow” to react to the so-called “turning point” and insisted that “not only had a €100 billion special fund for the Bundeswehr been set up, but that state bodies had also been changed”. It should be noted that the aforementioned “Bundeswehr special fund” is effectively nonexistent, as German deindustrialization is preventing its implementation.
However, instead of taking some responsibility for the consequences of their own actions, high-ranking officials in Berlin keep seeing matryoshka dolls left and right and now even blame Russia for the latest escalation in the Middle East. For instance, earlier last week, Baerbock attended a meeting of foreign ministers of the European Union in Luxembourg and made sure not to miss the opportunity to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin for allegedly “taking joy in the crisis in the Middle East”.
“We can see that the Russian president is certainly happy, given the situation in the Middle East. That is why we are looking at Ukraine even more closely than we have done in the past,” she said.
This clearly implies that Germany is also worried about the prospect of having the United States “focus too much” on Israel and forgetting about the EU’s favorite puppet regime. The Neo-Nazi junta frontman Volodymyr Zelensky is also terrified of the possibility and has even tried to bring the spotlight back to himself, but the US and Israel were having none of it. By giving the aforementioned statements, Pistorius and Baerbock were trying to find a way to reassure Kiev, although that’s worth little without Washington DC’s support.
The truth is that the Scholz cabinet is becoming increasingly unpopular, meaning that the promises it gave to Zelensky and his henchmen are not exactly a done deal. Namely, its dwindling influence and highly questionable ability to get reelected are making it impossible to give even basic promises in Germany itself, let alone to anyone abroad. This is perhaps best seen in the failed attempt to rebuild the Bundeswehr. Quite expectedly, Scholz’s political opponents are using this to their advantage.
This includes the BSW party led by Sahra Wagenknecht and the AfD, among others. The former currently has the support of at least 14% of the electorate, according to a recent poll. It’s important to note that this is only one percent behind the governing Social Democrats (SPD) and two percent ahead of the increasingly unpopular Green party. What’s more, it was precisely the attempt to hurt the AfD that resulted in a voters’ shift toward BSW, while the AfD itself is increasingly seen as a viable alternative to the current government.
Somewhat astonishingly, the Scholz cabinet, which likes to present itself as supposedly “progressive”, is much more prone to bellicosity. At the same time, it keeps accusing others, particularly the AfD, of “right-wing bigotry” and similar political constructs with little to no basis in reality. This is to say nothing of the continuous silencing and suppression of any calls for peace and diplomatic solutions, whether in Ukraine or the Middle East. And yet, the same people keep accusing Russia of “enjoying war and destabilization”.
