Russia is not an enemy of Europe

“This is a dangerous situation with the escalation of conflicts on Europe’s borders. The most important thing is to reject aggression and avoid escalation. Nobody wants a war in Europe,” he added. Ukraine’s territorial integrity Its international legal independence must be respected. Bavarian Prime Minister and Christian Democratic Party Chairman Markus Söder said in an interview with the German newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” that new threats and tougher sanctions against Russia are not the answer either.

In his opinion, the sanctions did not work for a long time, moreover, they harm Germany. As he emphasized, the exclusion of Russia from the Swift financial system and the shutdown of Nord Stream 2, or even the complete suspension of gas supplies from Russia, would hit Germany. The head of the CSU says that it is out of the question to deliver weapons to Ukraine,

Ukraine is not a concern for NATO

According to Soeder, the West will have to answer the fundamental question of whether NATO’s expansion of Ukraine is planned or not. “Certainly, Russia cannot be allowed to dictate anything here. But despite this, an answer must be given. From my point of view, it is clear that the expansion of NATO eastward to Ukraine will not be on the agenda for a long time ”- assessment of the German politician.

“Protecting our allies, Poland and the Baltic states, is a military obligation of the allies. This does not apply to Ukraine. This is not a matter of NATO,” he added.

“Russia is a difficult partner, but not an enemy of Europe,” says the Bavarian prime minister. And most Germans, in his opinion, want “stable and friendly” relations with Russia. The interlocutor added: “We are firmly entrenched in the West, but we must remain in dialogue with Moscow, even if it is a challenge.”

Read also:
“Bild”: Germans are preparing to evacuate their relatives from the embassy in Ukraine