Peace in the Ukraine War? Wladimir Klitschko believes negotiations are possible – but only on one condition: Putin should kneel like Brandt.
Kiev – Even his confidants were surprised: on December 7, 1970, Willy Brandt (SPD) fell to his knees in Warsaw. The Chancellor had previously laid a wreath at the memorial to the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto and asked for forgiveness for the crimes committed by the Germans in World War II. It was a spontaneous idea – but it achieved great things in the reconciliation of two once enemy peoples. Sometimes big gestures are needed in politics – maybe also to end the Ukraine war?
Negotiation on the Ukraine war: Klitschko calls on Putin to kneel – as with Willy Brandt in Warsaw
The famous kneeling in Warsaw – for Wladimir Klitschko that could still serve as a model for Wladimir Putin 50 years later. The brother of the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, considers a rapprochement between Russia and Ukraine after the end of the war to be entirely possible.
“When the President of Russia comes to Kiev and gets on his knees and asks for forgiveness and pays reparations, the Ukrainian people will say it’s time we put the past to rest,” the former boxing champion told dem Editorial network Germany (RND). The kneeling of former Chancellor Willy Brandt in Warsaw is an example of such reconciliation.
Visit to the Ukraine war: Brandt’s heir Lars Klingbeil currently on talks in Kiev
The comparison was no accident. On Monday, SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil traveled to the Ukrainian capital together with parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich. For months, the Social Democrats had received a lot of criticism from Kiev. After the SPD had pursued a pro-Russian course for years and, even after the start of the Ukraine war, German arms deliveries had been delayed for a long time – for fear of an escalation of the conflict with Russia. But most recently, “Brandt heir” Klingbeil initiated a change of course together with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). Germany is currently providing Ukraine with state-of-the-art Leopard 2 main battle tanks and is considered a major military supporter.
In Kiev, therefore, the visit of Klingbeil and Mützenich met with approval. On-site discussions created more understanding than a “remote diagnosis” from Berlin, Klitschko said RND. The policy of the entire SPD is currently turning “180 degrees,” said Klitschko. The former closeness to Russia of many SPD members is now becoming distant.
Against the background of this experience, Klitschko therefore did not completely rule out a clash between Russia and Ukraine. “History has shown that criminal regimes can destroy many things. But you can’t stop life,” said the Ukrainian, who has stood closely by his mayor’s brother during Russia’s war of aggression.
End of war in sight? Russia’s war of aggression continues to lead to losses in Bachmut – defeat in the summer?
But the demanded kneeling should rather be out of the question for Putin. Since he launched the war of aggression, both countries have been fighting a bloody battle with enormously high losses. Fighting is currently concentrated in the Bakhmut region. The conflict is expected to escalate again in the spring.
However, Russia suffers from a great lack of material, soldiers are already being sent into close combat with spades. Western secret services do not consider it out of the question that Russia could face defeat in the Ukraine war this summer, putting an end to the war in sight.
Negotiations on the end of the Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskyj continues to demand reparations
But in the end, an end to the Russia-Ukraine war remains pure speculation. While there are always rumors of secret negotiations in the background, both sides have ruled out direct peace talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set clear conditions for such an approach: complete withdrawal, including from Crimea, and sufficient reparations payments. The Kremlin has so far rejected both indignantly. Instead of signals of peace, there were mostly other threats from Moscow. Nobody had ever spoken of a knee fall.
#Klitschko #calls #Putin #kneel