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- May 16, 2012
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That's pretty much spot on from my understandingup until now, germany has been *extremely* reluctant to give serious weapons to the ukrainians. so, while the US and UK (and poland and plenty of other countries) have been giving them rockets and stuff, the germans have basically been hanging back, desperate for any excuse to try to slow things down.
various reasons: german reliance on russian gas (now a sudden real serious problem), german war guilt (german weapons killing russian soldiers again), SPD commitment to “wandel durch handel” (“change through trade” — i.e., slowly reforming russia through the power of german economic ties), germany’s previous attempts to assert an semi-independent foreign policy separate from NATO (nord stream 2 — now dead — and other similar initiatives), and just generally not wanting a serious war that can escalate in very unpredictable ways
They are a very interesting case, the Germans.
Wandel durch handel kind of has its roots going back to the Hansa. But it also seems a little convenient.
Like taking the gas and oil while patting yourself on the back for progressing some form of high-minded diplomacy. This consensus made them a little blind.
Das Billige ist immer das Teuerste as an old lady lady in Zehlendorf once told me.
The writing has been on the wall with Putin for a very long time, but Germany thought they could have their cake and eat it with Nordstream II.
Was ist richtig, ist schwierig.