Anne Will: Historian dishes out against Sahra Wagenknecht in a broadcast

At “Anne Will” in the studio on Sunday evening the sparks flew. The presenter actually just wanted to discuss the question: Does Ukraine need more support?

The reason for this topic is Ukraine’s recently increasingly loud demand for Germany to finally deliver Taurus cruise missiles. Kiev expects this long-range weapon system to provide better defense against Russia.

For example, Taurus cruise missiles could be used to attack the supply of the Russian army deep in occupied territory. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far expressed reservations. To Kiev’s disappointment, he refused to make a quick decision.

The following guests discussed “Anne Will”:

Before making a decision, Chancellor Scholz wants to ensure, among other things, that it is technically impossible to fire Taurus cruise missiles from Ukraine to Russia. Whether she didn’t want to praise him for that? was Anne Will’s first question of the evening to Sahra Wagenknecht – and the prelude to statements that were intended to annoy all guests without exception.

With Anne Will: Sahra Wagenknecht wants to negotiate with Putin

Wagenknecht had no praise for the Chancellor. Rather, she criticized arms deliveries in general and explained that she was worried about how much Scholz was oriented towards the USA.

The left-wing politician is determined that there will be no military solution to the war. Instead, Wagenknecht insisted on a return to the negotiating table.

She wasn’t so sure whether that was really true, she explained when Will pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t want to negotiate.

The English-language media regularly said that the Kremlin leader was ready for talks. Wagenknecht suggested that we should simply pick up where we left off during the negotiations in Istanbul in spring 2022.

In this context, she did not see the fact that the ceasefire negotiations at that time had been broken off due to war crimes such as the massacre in Butscha as an obstacle.

Does Wagenknecht justify the war?

Wagenknecht also explained that the war was raging for geopolitical reasons, not nationalistic ones. Putin wants to “prevent by all means” the American zone of influence from expanding into Ukraine, the Left explained.

When Will pointed out that this sounded like a justification, Wagenknecht clarified: “I never justified this war.” She considers the war in Ukraine to be a crime – like any other war.

The Left received opposition from all guests on the show. “Fake news,” complained CDU man Roderich Kiesewetter about their statements. “I didn’t come to work on Ms. Wagenknecht,” said SPD man Michael Roth.

Historians are slowly losing their patience

However, what upset Wagenknecht the most on Sunday was historian Karl Schlögel. His patience became noticeably shorter in the face of her statements over the course of the broadcast – until his anger finally boiled over in the last few minutes. But one after anonther!

“You, who come from an anti-fascist tradition, should know that you can definitely put down the enemy with weapons,” the Eastern Europe expert explained calmly at the beginning in the direction of Wagenknecht.

“Hitler was defeated with weapons and so it is with Putin!” He doesn’t understand anything other than gun violence, says Schlögel.

Eastern Europe expert washes Wagenknecht’s head

With regard to Russia’s security interests, which Wagenknecht had cited as the reason for the war, Schlögel contradicted: “You have an idea about certain things, you have no idea about certain things!”

She should go to Ukraine now, Schlögel advised Wagenknecht and added: “You never looked around there!”

The Left didn’t let this sit: “Mr. Melnyk publicly threatened me with death,” said Wagenknecht. “I’m not going to a country where I’m threatened with being killed!”

Historian on Wagenknecht: “You are Putin’s voice in Germany together with the AfD.”

The big finale of the exchange of blows finally came in the last minutes of the broadcast. Because: Schlögel’s hat string burst.

“She is a manager of fear,” the historian explained angrily about Wagenknecht, who was sitting across from him. The Left responded that they were afraid of the war expanding.

Schlögel didn’t buy it. “They can exploit other people’s fears – that’s their business and obviously the basis for what they’re planning together with the AfD!” he accused Wagenknecht.

“Insolence”: Wagenknecht wants nothing to do with the AfD

That was “an impudence,” said Wagenknecht. But Schlögel didn’t let himself be stopped. “You are the Putin voice in Germany together with the AfD.”

“Now they are really losing their level,” complained Wagenknecht. “I took her seriously until now!”

Good luck or bad luck – everyone will probably see it differently. The fact is: right when the talk show volcano began to bubble, the 60 minutes of broadcast time were over and Anne Will handed over to the “Tagesthemen”.