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The West is suspicious of China’s threatening gestures against the island nation of Taiwan. But western democracies have to show their edge early on, says FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann: “Putin thought we were all completely stupid and soft.” That shouldn’t happen in China.
“The brutal force with which Putin invaded Ukraine […] has lowered the inhibition threshold for other raids”fears the FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann “important today”. The war in Ukraine is by no means over, but new and old trouble spots are (again) just around the corner. For example, China is threatening the island state of Taiwan very acutely – a direct consequence of the war in Ukraine, says Strack-Zimmermann in the 335th episode of the morning podcast: “Russia has shown that crossing borders and rolling tanks is nothing theoretical. But it can happen again at any time. And that’s what’s really worrying.”
FDP defense expert Strack-Zimmermann: “Democracy and the western world is strong”
Should China actually attack Taiwan, this attack would also have a massive impact on Germany. The Ifo Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich published calculations on Monday showing that an economic war with China could be six times as expensive as Brexit. Germany could lose 0.81 percent of its gross domestic product.
But, like in so many other conflicts, the West can no longer afford to look the other way, says FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, describing the situation: “We now have the open conflict: The free world, which accepts human rights and lives democracy, against the world of despots and arbitrariness.” That’s why the visit of high-ranking US Democrat Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan was the right thing to do, Strack-Zimmermann thinks: “In the free world we can’t start asking despots what we can and can’t do. When we do that, we don’t need to talk about anything anymore.”
“It’s not bad faith that the ring exchange doesn’t work that way”
Nevertheless, one can already see that, for example, the ring exchange does not work properly. In the so-called ring exchange, eastern NATO partners such as Slovenia, Poland and Greece are supposed to deliver Soviet-era weapons to Ukraine and receive modern replacements from Germany. But as of today there are no reports that the agreements have been fulfilled in the past few months.
© TVNOW / Andreas Friese
podcast “important today”
Sure, opinionated, on the 12: “important today” is not just a news podcast. We set topics and initiate debates – with attitude and sometimes uncomfortable. Host Michel Abdollahi and his team speak out for this star– and RTL reporters with the most exciting people from politics, society and entertainment. They let all voices have their say, both the quiet and the loud. who “important today” listens, starts the day informed and can have a well-founded say.
Strack-zimmermann believes that exchanging rings is basically a good idea. And the fact that it has not worked so far is not solely the fault of the federal government: “It’s not bad faith that the ring exchange doesn’t work that way. It is also the communication and the expectations of the eastern partners: what do we get from Germany and how quickly?” Say, how many Russian tanks is a Leopard 2 worth, for example? There is definitely a need for improvement here, says the FDP politician, but talks are being held.
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Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
