Minister Lindner in the BILD talk: Prosperity is suffering, we are getting poorer – domestic politics

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The world looks at the bombed cities in Ukraine. Putin has invaded the neighboring country and is threatening us with nuclear weapons. At the same time, life in Germany is becoming more expensive, from petrol to groceries. Inflation is rising.

Federal Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner (43) answered your questions in the political talk “The Right Questions” on BILD TV.

Lindner about…

► the future: “I believe that the tension with Russia (…) will last for a long time.” He emphasizes: “We have tension with Russia. War is in Ukraine.”

the possibilities of the West: “We have done everything that was possible from our point of view and we are doing everything that is possible. Nevertheless, war always has something to do with suffering, and that is why we are pushing with the sanctions that the Putin system cannot continue like this.”

Germany’s role: “We (Germans, note) believe that the most effective way we can contribute is to drain Russia’s war chest. The Russian economy is collapsing. We will increase our efforts here so that Putin pays a price.”

► Sanctions against Putin: “Especially with the economic sanctions, I still see opportunities. When it comes to the oligarchs who have stolen their fortune from the Russian people and who enjoy their prosperity here in the western democracies, send their children to private schools, have houses on the Côte d’Azur, on Kurfürstendamm.”

What can you do?

“Freezing assets, cutting off the flow of payments, restricting entry – everything the rule of law can do, it should do for Putin’s supporters.”

► Millions spent from Europe on Russian gas that help finance the war: “If we stop gas and oil and coal supplies from Russia, it means that prices in Western Europe and the world will rise dramatically due to the expected shortages.”

► an embargo: “We should not limit our own staying power. We are isolating Russia politically, economically, financially. And we can hold out longer than Putin. Our staying power could be negatively impacted if we impose an embargo on our own.”

But Lindner also emphasizes: “If an embargo on gas, oil and coal would change something about the specific situation in Ukraine today, then I would be in favor of an embargo.”

the consequences of an immediate stop in acceptance: “Prices are going up and even if we use the money, physically we cannot simply buy coal, gas and oil – because we first have to (…) get the raw materials to Germany. (…) By next autumn and winter at the latest, we would have supply bottlenecks and would have to discuss very drastic measures.”

a no-fly zone: “I am now a member of the federal government. I have sworn an oath of office to also avert damage from the German people and I cannot decide according to my own heart in the short term, but I have to decide with responsibility what could follow. A no-fly zone that would be enforced by NATO in Ukraine would mean that Bundeswehr Eurofighters with German pilots – or American fighter jets – would shoot at Russian planes.”

► military intervention by NATO: “If a German fighter plane shoots at a Russian one, a German Eurofighter shoots down a Russian plane – what happens next? What is the escalation then? Then we will move to an escalation level of a military conflict between Russia and NATO, also between Russia and Germany.”

He also made it clear: “I also don’t see that there is this attitude among NATO allies (to intervene militarily, the ed.). My position is: we are isolating Russia, economically, politically and financially. We support Ukraine with everything we can, but we do not go to war with Russia.”

► the price explosion at petrol stations: “The state can’t do that. There will be an economic loss of prosperity. You can translate that as saying that we are all getting poorer.” Lindner rejected higher debts: “I am against us taking a loan from our grandchildren.”

★★★

Vladyslav Atroshenko, mayor of Chernihiv, a town on the Ukrainian-Russian border, describes the dramatic situation on the ground.

The people experienced “the most aggressive bombing raids every day, also with prohibited weapons such as cluster bombs”.

His desperate appeal to the German finance minister: Germany should help its country with other states and “close the sky over Ukraine”.

Christian Lindner: “I am deeply touched by what they have to endure. One can only salute your indescribable courage and bravery.”

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