... mediator between East and West, between the USA and Russia.
As a political and economic middle power, Germany has a responsibility to take peacemaking measures and initiatives. Germany should therefore practice neutrality.
The areas of historic eastern Germany, including West and East Prussia and Silesia, with the stories and the people who once lived there and those who live there now, should be used as a model and an incentive for rebuilding the bridges of communication that have been torn down and for promoting understanding....
... a product of malicious external influence.
***
Thus, there is a combination of factors that may contribute to easing the most confrontational aspects in Russian–German relations.
Among them, the overall dynamics of relations between Russia and the West carry the most weight. Germany will not single-handedly initiate the normalization of bilateral ties, nor can it confront Russia in isolation from Washington, let alone in defiance of its overseas ally. Willy Brandt’s
Neue Ostpolitik
was only possible in the unique climate ...
... be this a sensible first step towards a peaceful world order?
What remains is the beautiful sky over East Prussia and the hope that this beautiful land of my ancestors is moving towards its destiny — namely that of reconciliation, the bridge from Germany and Poland to Russia, a bridge that connects and reconciles West and East.
References and Reading Tipps
Ancel, Jacques (1938): Géographie des frontières, Gallimard.
Banik, Katja (2024): Die friedliche Memel, www.katjabanik.com
Banik, Katja (2022): Im Rausch des Bernsteins — der historische Osten Deutschlands,...
... disappeared. These places bear witness to the fact that many Germans, consciously or unconsciously, are still deeply rooted in these seemingly vanished landscapes.
The German soul is closely connected with the East and its territories, especially with Germany’s historical East, including East and West Prussia and the Memel territory.
According to estimates, about 14 million refugees had to leave their homes after the Second World War, losing everything, all their belongings. About 2 million died in transit, and Germany lost a quarter of its territory....
... Germany is perceived as less aggressive than the United States, and as more pragmatic and less Russophobic in comparison with the former Eastern European allies and Soviet republics, while being geographically and economically closer than the rest of Western Europe. Of course, all this hardly means that Germany would be knocked out of a common European or transatlantic policy on key issues. Therefore, I am sceptical about the widespread thesis that Germany's "special approach" to Russia ends with the Navalny case. The change in attitudes among ...
... Ivanov, RIAC President, addressed the audience of the Federal Academy for Security Policy (Germany), an inter-ministerial institution for advanced studies, education and training in security policy in the remit of the Federal Ministry of Defense of Germany. The Academy is headed by Ambassador Ekkehard Brose.
RIAC President devoted his speech to the problems in relations between Russia and the West at the present stage, as well as the possibilities and prospects for building a dialog on key issues in the area of security and humanitarian cooperation.
Igor Ivanov’s Remarks at the Federal Academy for Security Policy
... of Russian participants expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the OSCE and its ability to contribute to European security
Russia and the EU should come up with a positive agenda that addresses the issues of concern to both actors
Russia and Germany in a changing world order
The participants agreed that the current deterioration of Russian-German and Russian-West relations was caused by a lack of mutual trust and the inability to predict policy responses. Whereas several Russian participants argued that there was no trust between Russia and the collective West and that is why Russia still considers NATO a ...
Interview with Andreas Metz
Russia and the West have been dwelling upon the extremely difficult and delicate Ukrainian issue for over a year now. And no one knows for how long this matter will determine the Russia-West relations. Mass media are overwhelmed with various suggestions and prognosis for the future. Germany has for long been one of the closest Russian partners in the EU. Now Berlin and Moscow are experiencing one of the coldest periods of their friendship. RIAC has asked one of the German prominent experts,
Andreas Metz
, Director of Communications ...
