Clear the stage for Vladimir Putin: the West misjudged him.
Image: Getty
The relativizers are already speaking up again. The Germans, with their refusal to see the character of the Russian regime, contributed to the catastrophe in Ukraine.
fFor a moment, it seemed as if the invasion of Ukraine had clarified German attitudes towards Russia’s ruler. It is obvious who started this war, who is right and who is wrong, who is the victim and who is the perpetrator. The rockets aimed at apartment buildings in Ukrainian cities seemed to have suddenly created a broad consensus that Vladimir Putin’s regime is dangerous, aggressive and an existential threat to the democracies in Europe. For a short time one could hope that the cross front that denies or relativizes this would become so insignificant that one would no longer have to deal with it.
But after the initial shock, the temporarily silent voices of those who accuse the West of not addressing Russian sensitivities can be heard again in the media debate in Germany; who warn against an escalation of the conflict through arms deliveries to Ukraine and harsh measures against Russia; and who advise Ukrainians to give up their resistance to avoid further casualties.