Green Party leader Ricarda Lang has sharply criticized SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich’s call for a freeze on the war in Ukraine. Mützenich’s speech was a “relapse into the old Russia policy of the Social Democrats.” She actually assumed that the SPD had moved away from its “often naive appeasement policy towards Russia”. Now the SPD must “first clarify for itself what its line actually is.”
Lang said on the WELT TV news channel: “From my point of view, this speech was unfortunately a throwback to the Social Democrats’ old Russia policy. I actually understood it to mean that the Social Democrats have also broken away from this and have questioned their own Russia policy of the last decades, which has at least led to a massive dependence on Putin. And also that he felt as strong as he has in recent years.” She believes that we cannot afford to be naive towards Putin.
“And it is clear that freezing this conflict would ultimately lead to incredible suffering for the many people in these occupied territories. It is also clear to me: I am committed to more support for Ukraine because I want peace. A world where Putin wins in Ukraine is a world where he and other authoritarian dictators learn that they can push boundaries and get away with it.”
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Lang was astonished by Mützenich’s positioning because in the years of joint government one had the feeling that the SPD had changed its old, often pro-Russian course: “In the last few months, in the last few years, when we also governed together, there was actually a turning away from an often naive policy of appeasement towards Russia and very, very clear support for Ukraine. This was questioned in part in yesterday’s speech. I think they should first clarify for themselves what their line actually is.”
She could say very clearly what the Greens’ line was: “We stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. We want Ukraine to become part of the European family. And we know that freezing this conflict would not mean peace, but terror and lack of freedom for very, very many people in Ukraine and therefore less peace and less security for us.”
Lang warned that the traffic lights in Ukraine politics should stay the course: “We should stay on a clear course. Don’t hesitate, don’t hesitate. Prudent, that’s clear. But prudence in this situation means understanding that a Putin winning this war would encourage him to attack other countries if necessary. That means, for me, prudence means: staying on a clear course!”
Hofreiter sees “significant difficulties” for the coalition after Mützenich’s statement
Green foreign politician Anton Hofreiter has accused SPD parliamentary group leader Mützenich – and with him the SPD – of dangerous “naivety” in their attitude towards Russia. Mützenich’s proposal to freeze the war in Ukraine “encouraged Putin to escalate the war even further” and damaged Germany’s reputation in the world, which Hofreiter also sees as damaged by Russia-friendly SPD policies in the past. Mützenich and Scholz are “tearing back the arduous task of rebuilding trust,” said Hofreiter.
“These statements are dangerous for security and peace in the EU”
SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich encourages a debate about “freezing” the war in Ukraine. The proposal has met with criticism. The Green MP Hofreiter considers the statement to be dangerous for security in the EU.
Hofreiter said on the news channel WELT TV: “I think what the SPD, in its naivety, has not understood is that it takes two people to negotiate, namely not only the victim, but also the aggressor must be prepared to negotiate. And with this strategy, the SPD – and its parliamentary group leader – are only undermining the chances of negotiations, because he is encouraging Putin to escalate the war even further, because it is a clear sign of weakness. In doing so he achieves the complete opposite of what he claims he wants to achieve, namely ending the war.”
Mützenich is isolating Germany in the Western world with his statements, Hofreiter warned: “These statements are very dangerous for security and peace within the European Union and NATO. All of our allies around us see this strategy of appeasement as dangerous because it is dangerous. And you have to be clear: such statements are perceived by the Kremlin as an invitation to expand the war and attack other countries.”
Hofreiter sees Mützenich’s attitude as a problem for the traffic light coalition – but also for the whole of Germany. Hofreiter sees Germany’s reputation in the world as having been damaged by pro-Russian policies in the past. He also named projects for which the SPD was jointly responsible. “Such statements are a problem for the coalition, and above all they are a huge problem for Germany’s standing. Among other things, Annalena Baerbock has worked for years to compensate for the loss of trust that Germany has caused with Nordstream2, with its naivety towards Putin and with Schröder’s actions throughout Europe. And Mützenich and Scholz are tearing all that down again. Our allies are horrified.”
Hofreiter warned against putting the traffic light government at risk in the dispute over Ukraine policy. “It brings the coalition into considerable difficulties, but one thing must not be forgotten: it is of no use to Ukraine at all if Germany has no government in this difficult situation because there is chaos.” Hofreiter advised Scholz and Mützenich to focus on other states when it comes to foreign policy to move towards the Pro-Ukraine Alliance: “That’s why you have to expect that Scholz and Mützenich will orient themselves towards the countries that have greater foreign policy experience, such as Great Britain, such as France, and those countries that are closer to it and therefore know and understand Russia better, like the Baltics or Poland.”