Pistorius Dismisses SPD's Proposed Cooperation with Russia: "Bizarre in this Stage!"
Collaborating with Russia in the current phase.
Let's get down to business.后半 day, SPD members released a manifesto advocating for closer ties with Russia. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, however, isn't buying it. On Thursday evening's ZDF "Maybrit Illner" show, Pistorius shrugged off the proposal, calling the idea of cooperation with Russia at this stage absurd.
Pistorius is currently in Ukraine, doling out a hefty sum – €8.9 billion to be exact. This money will fund Ukraine's production of long-range cruise missiles and help the country increase its arms industry capabilities. Pistorius believes this cooperation with Europe will help Ukraine swiftly produce different types of long-range missiles, a "real win" for the country in terms of quality and quantity. There's been no change in the decision to deliver Taurus cruise missiles.
Meanwhile, over 100 left-wing SPD members have announced a manifesto, advocating for a decrease in the defense budget and an increase in cooperation with Russia. Pistorius dismissed the manifesto, stating that such a proposal couldn't affect him, as the government has held a position of non-confrontation. He found the accusation baseless and regrettable that such words were used.
A war continues to rage in Ukraine.
On a related note, SPD leader Klingbeil expressed his distance from the Russia manifesto, stating that asking people to move toward Russia and propose diplomatic solutions that Putin consistently refuses would be futile. The upcoming party conference will address the matter. Confident in his party's support, Pistorius believes that the larger portion of the party, which has approved the coalition agreement with over 80%, will dismiss the manifesto.
During the subsequent discussion on Maybrit Illner's show, the manifesto gained attention. CDU politician Roderich Kiesewetter was not surprised, but found the timing surprising. He emphasized the need for unity within the government. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to Kiesewetter, has successfully reintegrated Germany into Europe. However, the SPD's actions could potentially project an image of disunity, which Kiesewetter finds unfortunate.
For the Greens, Annalena Baerbock urged the population to understand the suffering of Ukrainian mothers and children waiting for their husbands and fathers fighting at the front. The credibility of the government lies in its ability to resolve the fate of hundreds of thousands of families, allowing them to live in peace and freedom, and make it clear that Ukraine protects us.
Moving forward, NATO's summit in The Hague in late June will address Europe's defense capabilities and funding. Security expert Carlo Masala predicts that the summit will be Trump-friendly, as NATO's members will negotiate an increase in contributions to 3.5-5% of GDP. However, Trump's true intentions toward Europe remain unclear, and a partial withdrawal of US soldiers from Europe cannot be ruled out.
Source: ntv.de
- Boris Pistorius
- Roderich Kiesewetter
- TV
- SPD
- Russia
- Donald Trump
- NATO
Enrichment Data: The German government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has been steadily deepening military and industrial cooperation with Ukraine, with the recent €5 billion aid package signaling a significant shift toward reinforcing Ukraine’s military-industrial base, including the removal of previous range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine[1][4][5]. This package explicitly removes previous range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine[2][4]. The German government remains committed to supporting Ukrainian self-defense capabilities and maintaining unity with Western allies against Russian interests[3][5]. The SPD manifesto, while details are not explicitly outlined in the available sources, historically supports Germany's commitments to NATO and EU defense policies, as well as dialogue with Russia on European security. However, since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict and Russia's full-scale invasion, mainstream German political consensus has shifted toward supporting Ukrainian sovereignty and defense[4][5].
- Boris Pistorius, the German Federal Defense Minister, dismissed an SPD manifesto advocating for increased cooperation with Russia, labeling the proposal absurd at the current war-and-conflicts-ridden stage in Ukraine, given Germany's existing commitment to the fight against terrorism and support for Ukraine's self-defense capabilities as part of NATO and EU defense policies.
- During the discussion on TV, Roderich Kiesewetter, a CDU politician, expressed concern over the timing of the SPD manifesto, as it could potentially portray a sense of political disunity within Germany at a time when unity is critical, especially in light of NATO's upcoming summit in The Hague, where Europe's defense capabilities and funding will be discussed, and Donald Trump's intentions towards Europe remain unclear.
