Natalia MEDEN
Today one could only guess what the recently started, unprecedented in
scope, anti-Russian campaign may lead to as mainstream Western media
outlets are getting more and more involved in the effort. Russia has
taken resolute steps to defend its vital interests in Crimea and Ukraine
as the West unleashed a new form of cold war – information warfare…
The unanimity of German media condemning Russia evokes concern calling
to mind historic precedents. A hundred years ago the Kaizer Germany
unleashed the First World War; the German elite unanimously supported
the government those days. As the issue of war expenditure was put to
Reichstag, Karl Liebknecht happened to be the only Member of Parliament
to abstain. (1) Military hysteria spread on political elite and creative
intelligentsia including such well-known personalities as Richard
Strauss, Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse. Friedrich Meinecke, German
historian who lived in the first half of last century, wrote that the
people of Germany were deeply and irreversibly convinced that the war
was imposed from outside and the people had their homes to defend in the
most broad sense of the word. Reading these lines one can understand
that the massive brainwashing campaign has made almost ¾ of Germans
known to be frugal ready to support the new regime in Kiev while 12%
believe it is acceptable to offer military aid. Over one third of
respondents favor sanctions against Russia (1).
The Berlin’s stance on Crimea and on Ukraine in general by and large
coincides with that of the United States, though a bit more restrained.
For instance, it took Germany some time to support the idea of
excluding Russia from G8; it didn’t rush to make calls for urgent
sanctions against Russia. With Germans obviously lacking fervor, Senator
McCain started to rebuke them for being too passive. But don’t get
taken in. Berlin sees Ukraine as a testing ground for the recently
announced new, more assertive foreign policy.
Angela Merkel does not
find it possible to go on with the preparations for G8 summit. The
German government has adopted a phased plan of imposing sanctions
against Russia. Even German business elite hesitate when it comes to
sanctions. For instance, Martin Wansleben, Managing Director of the
Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), told
Deutschlandfunk, «I don’t believe we can allow ourselves to impose
any sanctions, it’s not our option. No matter that, the European Union
must launch it». (2)
It would be an exaggeration to say that Germans are under the spell of
those who accuse Russia of committing an act of aggression. There are
some things that prevent the mass psychosis, like new information
technologies making it possible to watch footages showing the attacks by
Maidan militants against Berkut soldiers or provocations by «unknown
snipers»…Official media never post such video clips in Internet. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
has already adopted the rule to avoid the stories about Ukrainian
right-wing radicals and anything that pours water on the mill of Russian
propaganda (3). Bruno Gollnisch, a French National Front activist, said
France should not repeat the mistakes of the 1953 Crimean war fighting
against Russia to serve the interests of Great Britain striving for
world dominance (4).
The French right-wing National Front has no doubts that the fight for
Ukraine contradicts the interests of the European Union. This view is
shared by ultra-right parties of old Europe. Bernhard Tomasitz, the
editor-in-chief of the German People's Union’s media outlet, is sure
that the new pro-Western regime has provoked the exacerbation of
situation. One of its first steps was striking Ukraine’s Russian
speakers by rescinding the law on the status of regional languages. The
European Union normally defends the rights of minorities but this time
it turned a blind eye. (Russians are not a «minority» in Ukraine) (5).
The ultra-right in France and Austria believe that the federalization is
quite an acceptable way to settle the Ukraine’s crisis. According to
Andreas Meltzer, the leading candidate of Austrian People's Party at the
elections to the European Parliament, the division of Ukraine the same
way it was done in the case of Czechoslovakia would be a better
alternative to civil war. (6) Andreas Meltzer is sure that Europe
could get rid of the US influence and establish normal relations with
Russia.
In France only left-oriented media has reported that Dmitry Yarosh, the
leader of Ukraine’s nationalists, has decided to run for presidency.
Only left-wing media informs about recruitment centers for volunteers
to man formations to be sent to Crimea. Yulia Timoshenko has threatened
the peninsula with a guerilla war. Left Junge Welt tells about Pravy
Sector’s absolute power in Lviv. It also tells about armed groups
demanding recompense «for revolution» on the roads of western and
central Ukraine (7). Tagesspiegel is not that candid, it shies away from
calling a spade a spade telling about imposters who said they belonged
to «people’s control» and tried seize two German factories (8) to the
west of Kiev.
It’s worth to pay special attention on the articles reflecting the
point of view of big business. Such renowned economists as Michael
Hutter and Hans-Werner Sinn warn about negative consequences of economic
sanctions. The businessmen with direct interest in Russian economy are
alarmed.
Eckhard Cordes of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations
and Volker Treier, Chief Economist for the German Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, together voice their concern over the sanctions against
Russia calling it a risky business which may cost dearly. E. Shoppe,
chairman of machine building union in the East, expressed concern over
negative affect of possible sanctions for German machine building
competitivity. According to him, in case sanctions are imposed Russia
will buy the machines and equipment it needs in China (9).
Those down to earth reporters who specialize on economy go beyond
strict ideological restrictions openly saying that for the majority of
Germans Crimea is rather Russia than Ukraine (10).
A Wirtschaftswoche weekly reporter believes the following conditions
are crucial for normalization of the Ukraine’s situation: first, the
country has to stand on its own feet so that the new election would not
take place in the atmosphere of despair as a result of economic failure,
second, emotions need to be cooled down, third, President Putin should
not be demonized anymore (11).
The concern of German entrepreneurs over the situation in Ukraine is
understood, as well as their willingness to look for the ways to get
things in order there. Will it be enough to stop the further negative
development of events? Striking Russia-Germany ties directly corresponds
to the goals cherished by the initiators of Transatlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership agreement being pushed through by Washington.
Notes
(1) The results of the poll published on March 7 2014
(3) www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/europa/ukraine-die-extremisten-vom-majdan-12816972-p2.html
(4) www.marinelepen.fr,.03.07. 2014.
(5) National Zeitung,.03. 07. 2014. The Verhovna Rada of Ukraine voted
to rescind the law of February 23. A commission to work out a new
legislature on language has already been formed in Kiev. One of the
options for consideration is to cancel Cyrillic script for Latin.
(6) diepresse.com
(7) Reinhard Lauterbach. Rechte machen mobil/ Junge Welt, 08.03.2014.
(8) tagesspiegel.de
(9) dpa, 03. 07.2014.
(10) www.wiwo.de/politik/ausland/krise-in-der-ukraine-moskaus-geopolitische-arroganz/9560642-2.html.
(11) Bettina Röhl. Krim: Keine Eskalation herbeireden!/Wirtschaftswoche, 04.03.2014.
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