“Caren Miosga” “What was he thinking?”: Baerbock criticizes Pope and warns of Putin’s “attrition tactics”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was a guest on Caren Miosga’s talk show
© photothek / Imago Images
by Simone Deckner
11.03.2024, 07:16
3 Min.
The German Foreign Minister showed “Caren Miosga” little understanding for the Pope’s statement that Ukraine should raise “the white flag”. She also found clear words about Vladimir Putin.
Wanting to bang your head against a wall, going it alone, brushing off other people’s plans – all of these are not exactly qualities you want from a German foreign minister. “Putin’s War and Germany’s Role”: How undiplomatic can you be, Ms. Baerbock?”, provoked Caren Miosga still supported the Green Party in her political talk on Sunday evening – probably in the hope of eliciting statements from her that had not previously been confirmed on all sides.
At one point the Foreign Minister actually leaves the safe diplomatic arena. Namely when it comes to the Pope’s recent statements about the war in Ukraine. In a previously published interview on Swiss television, Francis is quoted as saying that Ukraine should have “the courage to raise the white flag” and negotiate with Russia before the situation escalates further, i.e. Ukraine should surrender.
“I really wonder what he was thinking,” commented Baerbock on the pontiff’s controversial statement, “I don’t understand it.” She then reports how a 16-year-old girl begged her during her last visit to Ukraine not to give in to Putin. The student was kidnapped with her classmates. She was freed only after months of attempts, but many of her classmates are still in Russia: “I ask myself: Where is the Pope?”
Caren Miosga’s guests were:
- Annalena Baerbock – German Foreign Minister (Alliance 90/The Greens)
- Michael Thumann – journalist and head of the Moscow office of the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”
- Minna Ålander – political scientist and security expert (Finnish Institute of International Affairs)
Unfortunately, with a Russia under Putin, “there will be no security in the foreseeable future,” said Baerbock. The Green Party warned against the Kremlin boss’s “attrition tactics”: These included fake news campaigns (“Russian bots keep claiming that I am a prostitute”) as well as stoking fear through threats of atomic bombs. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov now leaves the room when she speaks, said Caren Miosga. Baerbock replied that he recently stayed seated during her speech, but: “You can’t let your lies stand.” That’s why the traffic light government has been doing “everything to ensure that this war comes to an end” for the past two years.
Baerbock at Caren Miosga: “Putin is playing with our fears”
Really everything? The moderator goes back to the debate about the Taurus cruise missiles, including the wiretapping scandal and the Chancellor’s power word. Miosga to Baerbock: “They know how to express themselves diplomatically, but we all know that they are actually in favor of it” – unlike Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke out against supplying the weapons. The head of the Moscow “Zeit” office, Michael Thumann, criticizes this, calling it a “syndrome of exclusionitis”: “Why is the Chancellor excluding Taurus right away? Why don’t we let them sweat a little?” he asks.
Annalena Baerbock obviously likes the idea of acting a little more ambiguously. “Putin is playing on our fears. If he knows exactly what we are afraid of, it is of course a very easy game,” said Baerbock. She advocates using the painful experiences of other nations with Russia – such as the Baltic states: “Certain psychological war games are more present, so we have to learn from others,” said the Foreign Minister.
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Finnish security expert Minna Ålander explains that the Taurus wiretapping scandal was viewed with great surprise in her home country of Finland. It was “embarrassing”: from communication over an unprotected line to the use of real names and locations. When it comes to hybrid warfare, the German Foreign Minister also sees some catching up to do.
Topic on “Caren Miosga”: What happens if Trump wins?
Finally, Caren Miosga takes a look at the US elections and, in view of Donald Trump’s disturbing statement that he will encourage Russia to do “whatever he wants” with NATO, wants to know from Annalena Baerbock: “How difficult it is for them Not to make a campaign recommendation?” Baerbock said she doesn’t know whether Trump or Biden will be in the lead in the end, “but we work incredibly well with the Biden administration and it’s important that we continue to do that.” She would have too “I can’t imagine that, as a Green Foreign Minister, I’m at NATO meetings so much,” says Baerbock, “but the most important thing is that we appear united.”
The Foreign Minister then parries Miosga’s last little provocation very diplomatically: Again it’s about the USA, but this time about Baerbock’s party colleague Robert Habeck. He had criticized the US government in front of students and swore heartily (“Solve the fucking problems!”). The moderator had asked whether she wasn’t “a bit jealous”. No, she doesn’t have envy, said Baerbock with a smile , “We spoke on the phone immediately after he returned, but talked about other things.”
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