German Navy Chief’s comments during India visit cause stir

Berlin/New Delhi, Jan 22 (UNI) Germany’s Navy chief Kay-Achim Schönbach has caused a stir with uncoordinated statements on foreign policy during a talk in India. The Vice Admiral and Chief of the German Navy, Kay-Achim Schönbach, explaining his private views on the Ukraine crisis, said that he would like to have Christian Russia as a partner because of his Christian faith. Schönbach gave a talk at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, where he said the fact that Russia wants to incorporate parts of Ukraine is “nonsense”. “What Putin really wants is respect,” the vice admiral said, speaking in English in remarks that were posted on a video on YouTube. “And, my God, giving someone respect is low cost, even no cost. … It is easy to give him the respect he really demands — and probably also deserves,” Schönbach said, calling Russia an old and important country, media reported. Schönbach said he did not believe in an impending attack on Ukraine. He saw the real threat in China and would rather see Russia as a partner than as an enemy. “Even we, India, Germany, need Russia against China,” said Schönbach. “I’m a very radical Catholic, I believe in God and in Christianity. And there we have a Christian country – although Putin is an atheist, it doesn’t matter. This big country, even if it’s not a democracy, on our side as having a bilateral partner may keep it away from China.” Schönbach said Russia’s actions in Ukraine needed to be addressed, but added that “the Crimea Peninsula is gone: It will never come back — this is a fact.” His remarks directly contradicted the official view held by the EU and the US. Washington and its allies say that Moscow’s 2014 annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine was unacceptable and must be reversed. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Saturday evening summoned the German Ambassador to Ukraine, Anka Feldhusen regarding the “unacceptability of the statements made by the Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, Kay-Achim Schönbach,” it said in a letter. Among other things, it is about his statement that “Crimea will never return to Ukraine and that our state will not meet the membership criteria for NATO,” the Ukraine Foreign Ministry said. The navy chief’s comments come as Russia has gathered tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine’s borders and many worry that an invasion could be in the works. Russia has denied any planned aggression against Ukraine. The German government made no official statement, although it distanced itself from Schönbach’s comments on Saturday. “The content and choice of words of the statements in no way correspond to the position of the Federal Ministry of Defense,” a German Defense Ministry spokesman told public broadcaster ZDF. Schönbach must now explain himself to his superior, Inspector General Eberhard Zorn, the ministry said. Additionally, Germany’s ruling coalition will discuss the navy chief’s statements on Monday, ZDF reported. Schönbach issued an apology on his Twitter account. “There is no need to quibble: it was clearly a mistake,” he tweeted. “My defense policy remarks during a talk session at a think tank in India reflected my personal opinion in that moment. They in no way reflect the official position of the defense ministry,” he wrote. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on Germany to reject Schönbach’s comments regarding Crimea, saying they undermine the efforts to counter Russian aggression. “Ukraine is grateful to Germany for the support it has already provided since 2014, as well as for the diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict. But Germany’s current statements are disappointing and run counter to that support and effort,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in tweet. “The German partners must stop undermining unity with such words and actions and encouraging (Russian President) Vladimir Putin to launch a new attack on Ukraine,” Kuleba added. Kyiv also highlighted its “deep disappointment” at the German government’s position “on the failure to provide defense weapons to Ukraine.” The lack of weapons support is another point of contention between the two countries.