After the Russian attack on Ukraine, the left wants to reconsider its opposition to EU economic sanctions.
Berlin – “As leftists, we were always against sanctions because they usually hit the wrong people, namely the population,” said parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch of the German Press Agency in Berlin. But: “This historic turning point will also require a reassessment from the left.”
Bartsch called the discussion about steps against the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline hypocritical. “Because no gas is currently flowing through this pipeline,” said the Rostock MP. «Stopping the certification changes practically nothing at first. In reality this is meaningless. If anything, you have to talk about gas supplies as a whole, about the Druzhba pipeline and about Nord Stream 1.”
Bartsch and other top left-wing politicians have campaigned for understanding for Russian interests in recent weeks, but they strongly condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine on Thursday. “That fundamentally changes the situation in Europe,” Bartsch told the dpa. “In a few decades, these days will be evaluated and recognised: the European post-war order is at an end.”
It is correct that NATO has declared that it will not intervene militarily. “There can be no military option,” said Bartsch. «Because what would happen if the nuclear powers Russia and the USA faced each other here? It’s so dangerous, it’s hard to imagine what’s going on.” But if there can’t be a military solution, then the only way left is to go back to the negotiating table. «Of course, Russia has to withdraw first. But diplomacy is the only way to find a solution.” (dpa)
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