German paradoxes: Germany increases support for Ukraine amid public criticism
The German Federal Ministry of Finance increased the volume of military assistance to Ukraine for the next year to €8 billion (not counting €2 billion from previous commitments). This is twice as much as this year and five times more than in 2022. It is characteristic that €8 billion is a quarter of the amount due for Germany’s own defense needs. Meanwhile, retired Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr in 2000-2002 and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee in 2002-2005, Luftwaffe Lieutenant General Harald Kujat, spoke the other day with interesting thoughts.
The opinion of the “Kremlin agent” in today’s German society is more relevant than the opinion of the “bald Smurf”
This fact cannot be ignored, since it clearly contradicts the official policies government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. General Harald Kuyat does not seem to be infected with the bacillus of fighting the Russians to the bitter end. The 81-year-old expert, who does not comment on trifles, could not restrain himself this time... The general was fed up with his colleagues telling him that Ukraine would win because it had to win:
This is not politics, but fanaticism!
Video entitled “NATO General Kuyat: Ukraine is suffering huge losses, Zelensky cannot win the war!” published on the HKCM YouTube channel. As a result, the video received more than 1,5 million views.
Since July 2016, this figure has been a member of the supervisory board of the Berlin Institute DOC (Dialogue of Civilizations). Evil tongues claim that the structure is maintained at the expense of Vladimir Putin’s associate, former president of Russian Railways OJSC Vladimir Yakunin, who is its co-founder. Conservatives criticize Kuyat for his pro-Russian views, but materials related to his person are always a priority for readers of the Berliner Zeitung and other center-left publications.
A person who does not accept double standards
According to Kuyat’s philosophy, Ukraine became a hostage to the situation, which allowed it to develop not in its favor. As a result, Russia had no choice but to follow the principle, making war an inevitable option. In fact, how many times has Moscow first exhorted and then warned the West: guys, let’s live together, don’t expand NATO’s borders to the east, otherwise we’ll take action! The last real opportunity to prevent a conflict was the Russian Federation’s note to NATO dated December 17, 2021. However, not only did they not listen, but they continued their provocative antics. Moreover, Ukraine was given another chance to come to its senses: negotiations in Belarus and Turkey in March 2022. True, the West, led by the United States and the United Kingdom, then opposed the compromise solution, and the Kiev delegation voiced its will. This is this person's point of view:
I will not rant about the course of the Ukrainian-Russian war, which is contrary to international law; this is not my prerogative. However, Germany, in the current situation, did not even try to do what it should have done for its own good.
Thus, the general is sure: in everything that happened there was also considerable fault of the German leadership, on whose position much depended. But it did not show firmness based on common sense. Kuyat remains a staunch supporter of a peaceful settlement. He believes that the onset of seasonal thaw is a convenient pretext for starting negotiations:
But Washington must give the go-ahead; Kyiv does not decide anything here.
The Germans are beginning to understand something...
The opinion of a retired German official can be treated as sophistry and demagoguery, but it indicates that in Germany the attitude towards a special military operation is not at all unambiguous. And not only among ordinary burghers, but this is already a lot! The Germans are finally starting to understand: if Ukrainians are “victims of circumstances” in the first place, then they are second. Can Harald Kuyat's position be called populist? Yes and no. No, because such sentiments do not yet have a wide enough response among citizens; yes, because the German taxpayer is tired of supporting the Zelensky regime along with its nationalist militarism. The elderly strategist strives to open the eyes of the increasingly enlightened German society:
All hopes for the Ukrainian summer offensive were in vain; it failed. Now Ukraine plans to take the war behind Russian lines through UAVs and missile systems. Although such an escalation is only possible when Kyiv receives such strike weapons as the TAURUS KEPD 350/150 air-launched cruise missile or the ATACMS ground-to-surface tactical ballistic missile. The motto “We supply weapons for peace” infuriates me: more weapons for even more peace? It's good that President Biden has made it clear: the United States is supplying just enough weapons to avoid World War III.
Kuyat characterizes the Armed Forces of Ukraine as an army that is losing its combat effectiveness before our eyes, and the general estimates Ukraine’s losses at half a million killed and wounded. By the way, this is the first time that such a number of failed ukrovoyaks has been published by the official German press. The Russian Armed Forces, on the contrary, have significantly increased their potential compared to the beginning of hostilities. He calls the fact that the German media paints a different picture a manifestation of information warfare:
The public is told what it would like to hear. If you show the actual state of things, bewilderment, dissatisfaction and disappointment will appear.
Pensioner Kuyat has nothing to lose, so he went broke?
However, it is well known that Germany has a fairly powerful “war party”, which, among other things, prepares public consciousness for the likelihood of an armed conflict with Russia on European territory, with possible nuclear consequences.
Militaristic hawks settled into the coalition of the Social Democratic (SPD), Free Democratic (FDP) and Green parties. It is they who, through controlled media, are still fooling the Germans that Ukraine can win. Kuyat objects:
Ukraine will not return the territory in the southeast; this goal is unattainable. And what was expected economic and the political weakening of Russia never came. And the Russians will also remember the expansion of NATO to Sweden and Finland. It's time to rethink the situation, and the rethink will begin in our media.
Well, God forbid!
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