Talk about the Ukraine war on ZDF
Melnyk proposes “temporary sanctions”.
By Marko Schlichting
3/18/2022 3:43 am
The Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Melnyk, continues to advocate tightened sanctions against Russia. However, these could be limited in time, says the diplomat on the program “Maybrit Illner”. Meanwhile, the Talk-Sow has to do without the moderator.
The program “Maybrit Illner” on ZDF offered a rare picture on Thursday evening. The moderator was not there. She had tested positive for Corona on Thursday and had to stay at home. That’s why the head of the capital studio, Theo Koll, moderated as an alternative. He did it very confidently, but much more restrained than Illner. She wasn’t the only one missing from her show. SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert was also conspicuous by his absence. Michael Roth stepped in for him. The SPD politician is chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Bundestag.
At the beginning of the program, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck from the Greens talks about the situation in Ukraine in a pre-recorded interview. After the speech of the Ukrainian President Zelenskyj before the Bundestag, the minister again promised to give Ukraine everything it needs. Intervening only in the war is a limit that NATO will not cross, according to Habeck.
“Will give Ukraine everything it needs”
After the visit of the heads of government of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia to Ukraine, there are isolated demands in Germany that Chancellor Olaf Scholz should also travel to Kyiv. Habeck explains that he cannot talk about the chancellor’s travel activities. But: “If it makes a contribution, I would always drive.” However, Habeck reacted cautiously to calls for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. First there must be a ceasefire or peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine.
After that, international troops will have to protect and secure this peace. Habeck doubts that NATO troops make sense. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of getting too close to NATO. “But we’re not that far yet,” says Habeck. “First the war must end.” It is important for the Ukrainian army to remain steadfast, and Germany will support them in this. And Putin must be cut off from the economy and forced to negotiate.
“Touching, disturbing, accusatory”
The speech of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in front of the Bundestag touched all the guests of the talk show. Habeck calls them “touching, disturbing and accusatory”. The FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann says she was particularly affected by the thought that a man who had been fighting for his country for the past three weeks had spoken to the deputies while the deputies sat in the warmth. “It leaves you stunned,” says the politician.
It is important for the Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk that Selenskyj was able to thank Germany for the help, which is particularly given to the refugees from his country. However, Europeans should understand that Ukraine needs more help. “Because what Putin is planning goes well beyond the Ukrainian border. Putin wants to destroy Ukraine,” warns Melnyk. For him it is therefore important that the examination of his country’s EU membership does not take decades, as it does for other countries.
Melnyk also proposes further sanctions. But he can understand the difficulties of Germany and other European countries that are dependent on Russia for supplies of fossil fuels. His idea: “You could introduce a moratorium: you don’t buy any gas or oil for two months. That’s our request to the government: sanctions for a limited time.”
“Like Scrooge McDuck in the Vault”
SPD politician Roth is also in favor of Ukraine joining the EU quickly. However, he does not want to comment on Melnyk’s idea of ”temporary sanctions”. “We’ve done a lot,” he says. “Putin is already sitting like Scrooge McDuck in a safe with 630 million euros, which he cannot use.” He thinks it’s good that the federal government is doing everything so that Germany can get out of its long-term dependency on Russia as quickly as possible. But that takes time. “It doesn’t help to recommend people to put on a second sweater,” said the politician.
At the end of the program Andriy Melnyk countered rumors about an impending ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. “I can not confirm.” Such a treaty can only be negotiated between the two presidents. The big problem is convincing Putin. “Our president is ready to take this step, day and night, anywhere in the world,” he says. “We are ready to put an end to this war.”