According to US information, more than 150,000 Russian soldiers are on the border with Ukraine. The door to a diplomatic turn seems to be closing. Is it still possible to prevent a war?
NATO expects a full-scale attack by the Russian army on neighboring Ukraine. “All signs indicate that Russia is planning a full-scale attack on Ukraine,” said the Secretary General of the military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, on Saturday evening on ARD’s “Tagesthemen”. According to Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, Russia has made all preparations to be able to attack. “We are well advised to be prepared,” said the SPD politician on ZDF’s “heute journal”.
According to US information, Russia has gathered around 150,000 soldiers at the border. However, Moscow denies attack plans. The government there emphasizes that after some maneuvers had ended as planned, troops have now been withdrawn.
Stoltenberg sees a growing Russian army on the border with Ukraine
Stoltenberg, currently a guest at the Munich Security Conference, disagreed. “Troops are not being withdrawn, as Russia says, but new troops are being added.” There are also signs that Russia is preparing to create a pretext for an attack.
Stoltenberg emphasized that despite the threat of escalation, NATO is still sticking to a political solution. “We want to get Russia to change course and sit down with us.”
Stoltenberg said that Ukraine’s NATO membership, which Russia had strictly rejected, was possible, but ultimately the decision of 30 allies. At the moment it is less about NATO membership and more about “whether we accept that a great power like Russia is trying to dictate to another country what it can and cannot do – by force.”
Lambrecht speaks of a great threat
Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht welcomed NATO’s decision to drastically reduce the standby times for tens of thousands of soldiers in the military alliance. When asked whether a Russian attack on NATO members, such as the Baltic states or Poland, was to be feared, the minister said: “The threat is very great in this region.” And the NATO allies have a right “to be secured accordingly”. She added: “NATO stands here. We stand together, united. And Russia must prepare for us to protect our allies.” As a show of strength, Russia tested nuclear-capable missiles on Saturday.
In view of the escalation, US Congressman Jim Banks called on Germany to stop the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline immediately and to supply arms to Ukraine. “Germany’s capitulation to Russia on Nord Stream and other issues is something that the rest of the world – especially the Americans – are shaking their heads at,” said the opposition Republican in the US House of Representatives of the German Press Agency on the outskirts of Munich security conference.
Many Americans doubted Germany’s reliability, Banks said. He specifically demanded that Germany deliver the weapons to Ukraine, which the government in Kiev is demanding. The US has provided heavy weapons to Ukraine on a number of years. Germany categorically rules this out.
No understanding of Putin’s motives
US Secretary of State Tony Blinken expressed his incomprehension about Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin’s motives. He accelerated everything that Putin allegedly wanted to prevent, Blinken told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. For example, the majority of Ukrainians have turned their backs on Russia and are now in favor of NATO membership. And the strengthening of NATO is solely the result of Russia’s “aggressive measures”.
Blinken warned Moscow against an invasion of Ukraine and again announced “many severe sanctions” against Russia in this case. At the same time he renewed his offer to negotiate. If Russia does not start the war earlier, he will meet with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Europe on Wednesday. However, he assumes that Putin has already made his decision to go to war.
This Sunday, the third and last day of the Munich Security Conference, the focus is on the future of the European Union. EU Council President Charles Michel will also speak at the international meeting of experts. Lambrecht also discusses security policy and the “language of power” with colleagues.
Source: Stern
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