Your parties belong to the traffic light coalition, but their opinions could not be more different. On Wednesday evening, foreign politician Ralf Stegner and SPD and FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann argued on the ARD talk show "Maischberger" about the lessons learned from the missile impact in Poland.
A rocket fell in a small village in eastern Poland on Tuesday. Two people are hit and die. Many are wondering: what now? Is World War III imminent? It turns out on Wednesday that the anti-aircraft missile was apparently fired in Ukraine in defense against a Russian attack that destroyed civilian infrastructure. The shelling of the village - a mistake. How things will continue in Ukraine and what role Germany should play is the topic of the program “Maischberger” on Wednesday evening on the first. Two people get into conversation whose opinions could hardly be more different.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the FDP is chairwoman of the defense committee of the Bundestag. She has been demanding for months that Germany should deliver more weapons to Ukraine. Now she has written a book in which she demands that Germany should finally assume a military leadership role. That's why there will be a fight, as was to be expected. Because her opponent is Ralf Stegner from the SPD, who supports arms deliveries to Ukraine, but still relies on diplomatic solutions to end the war in Ukraine.
But first it's about the rocket that accidentally hit eastern Poland. That's collateral damage, you always have to reckon with that, says Strack-Zimmermann. Here moderator Sandra Maischberger could have checked whether one could really speak of collateral damage with two deaths. But she tends to hold back when the two guests discuss it.
"The world held its breath yesterday," says Ralf Stegner. It was only thanks to the level-headedness of the NATO countries that a catastrophe did not occur. "The war is dangerous and must be ended, also because things are happening that we may no longer be able to get a grip on," Stegner concluded.
"NATO's reaction was correct," says Strack-Zimmermann. However, she points out that in the end it is not NATO that decides what happens. That's Putin's business, whom both call a "mass murderer." German influence on the Russian president is close to zero, says the FDP politician. What touches Putin is the fact that China is starting to turn away from him. "It's a different quality that Putin didn't expect."
After most G20 countries condemned the war in Ukraine this week, Stegner sees the window for diplomatic negotiations open. He also attributes China's changed attitude to the talks that Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden had with China's head of state Xi Jinping.
"But Putin only understands strength," analyzes Strack-Zimmermann. Strength would mean above all: in military terms. "And there is still room for improvement," criticizes the FDP politician of Germany's commitment. According to the defense expert, 77 years after the end of the Second World War, Germany has learned to be a democracy and is now ready to assume a military leadership role. You can also thank the countries that have supported Germany in its development.
Precisely because there were still people alive who could remember the German atrocities during the Second World War, it was not up to Germany to lead militarily. This is different with economic support or humanitarian aid. But militarily it is up to Germany to form a team with the other European countries and to support Ukraine.
As expected, the dispute is not resolved. The presenter, who wants to create a little harmony at the end, gets it. At least he prefers Strack-Zimmermann to being a defense expert for the Union, says Stegner - a tremendous compliment for a North German. And then both tell that they recommend each other songs for their playlists. Stegner's last tip for Strack-Zimmermann was Donovan's "Universal Soldier".
(This article was first published on Thursday, November 17, 2022.)
