1) Cristian Segura (Kiev), “Olaf Scholz asegura que Ucrania está analizando cómo puede negociarse la paz con Rusia; El canciller alemán insiste en un discurso menos beligerante con Moscú que el del presidente francés,” El País, el 28 de marzo 2024 (actualizado a las 12:55 EDT);
2) Sozialdemokratische Historiker kritisieren Russland-Politik der SPD; Eine Gruppe von Historikern um Heinrich August Winkler rechnet in einem offenen Brief mit der SPD ab. Deren Argumente seien ‘erratisch und nicht selten faktisch falsch’,” Die Zeit, den 27 Marz 2024 (Aktualisiert am 27. März 2024, 19:57 Uhr);
3) “‘Hochgefährliche Realitätsverweigerung’: Historiker üben scharfe Kritik an Russland-Politik der SPD-Spitze; Eine Gruppe von Wissenschaftlern um Heinrich August Winkler geht in einem offenen Brief hart mit der SPD-Spitze ins Gericht. Sie werfen ihr unzureichende Solidarität mit der Ukraine vor,” Tagesspiegel, den 28. März 2023 (13:14 Uh);
Analysis
Olaf Scholz and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) are leading Germany down the path of appeasement of Russia.And as the leading country favoring appeasement, Germany is operating as a major brake on the efforts of the EU and NATO countries to provide the advanced weapons systems and ammunition it needs.
In both NATO and rge EU, major decisions relating to Ukraine can only be taken by unanimous vote. Consequently, as the leading country favoring appeasement, Germany in effect blocks critical actions by these actors that would supply Ukraine with the military assistance it so desperately needs.
The leader of the SPD faction in the Bundestag, Rölf Mützenich, recently advocated a “freezing” of the conflict in Ukraine with a settlement to be worked out later. Anyone who has been following the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine understands that Mützenich was essentially calling for capitulation by Ukraine.
While Defense Minister Pistorius and Chancellor Scholz distanced themselves from this proposal, Scholz continues his hard line on the road of appeasement–no Taurus missiles, slow and begrudging supply to Ukraine of other weapons systems.
Scholz reminds this observer of no one so much as Neville Chamberlain, the Conservative prime minister of Great Britain until May 1940 when Winston Churchill took over the job.
Chamberlain clung to the belief until the very end, in May 1940), that a negotiated agreement could be reached with Adolf Hitler, even after Hitler tore up the Munich Pact which led Chamberlain to declare he had achieved “peace for
our time”.
Scholz is a follower, not a leader. He has been following the pro-Putin and pro-Russian elements in his party, the SPD, with careful attention to tge party’s chances in the next federal elections, where the SPD is challenged by pro-Russian and pacifist oar ties on the left, as well as the Alternative for Germany (AFD) party on the far-right, which is also pro-Russian.
Scholz is a modern Chamberlain, not a Churchill. Just as Chamberlain followed tge appeasement sentiments that were dominant in the Conservative party in 1940, Schilz follows (ir us careful not to antagonize the pacifist and pro-Russian elements on the left, particularly within the SPD.
He us alao following the opinion polls, which show a majority of Germans support his cautious and deliberate approach, on tge road to appeasement of Russia. As Cristian Segura reports in El País, his latest comments urging a softer tone than Emmanuel Macron’s toward Russia, and negotiations with the Russian dictator.
It is hard to imagine Winston Churchill basing his biggest decisions on public opinion polls, or prevailing opinion in the Conservative Party. Instead he led, and resolutely set out to change both public opinion and support for standing up to Hitler within his party.
Today, in German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, we have a leader very much like Neville Chamberlain. On the road to appeasement. Following the public opinion polls and strong factions within his party.
One does not discern a leader with the qualities of leadership Germanu, and Europe and the world, so desperately need at this perilous moment in time.