Merkel demands diplomacy: Germany has to be peaceful!

Merkel demands diplomacy: Germany has to be peaceful!

In the courtyard of Schwerin Castle, Angela Merkel recently commented on important geopolitical topics that are currently moving Europe and the world. Under the title "Peacefulness", she took part in the panel discussion, which addressed the Russian war against Ukraine and the conflicts in the Gaza strip. It became clear that Merkel takes a clear distance from Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who emphasizes the need that Germany had to be "warming". [NDR] (https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/mecklenburg-vormern/mel-wir-muessen-friedenstuecht-werdenin-mermel- 3662.html) reports that Merkel could take the fact that Germany could need military strength, but the focus should be on a "peaceful".

In her speech, she emphasized the importance of diplomacy to solve conflicts and counter aggressions. "Talks with Russia are necessary to end the war," said the ex-chancellor. She pointed out that deterrence and diplomatic contacts are the best options to prevent attacks. This is in the context of the new NATO goals, which provides an increase in defense spending up to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2035, a plan that also finds the support of countries such as Poland and Lithuania, but meets skepticism for other member states, such as Belgium and Spain, which view the targeted expenses as too high. [BR] (https://www.br.de/nachrichten/Deutschland-welt/ between-tutin-und-trump-nato-erhoeht-wetchen-wetchenverkungen expenditure ,up9ca8)

Criticism of military strategies

In terms of conflicts in the Middle East, Merkel also expressed concerns. She described the military actions of Israel in the Gaza War as "hard" and "hard-hearted", which is in a strong contrast to the already documented atrocities of Hamas. Merkel is empathetic to the protests in Israel, which push for an armistice and questions the effectiveness of the Israeli military strategy. In this context, it also noticed that she was by no means regretted the decisions she made in refugee policy ten years ago. She made it clear that dissatisfaction with this policy should not offer any room for xenophobia. ZEIT

A particularly remarkable aspect has been Merkel's review of the declines of Germany's defense spending in the past two decades. In her view, this decline was a "peace dividend" that should not endanger the construction of the new federal states. Nevertheless, she recognizes the current situation as a turning point. The agreement of the NATO countries to higher expenses describes them as logical and necessary due to the considerable threat situation that has developed according to the Ukraine conflict.

Merkel and the future of Europe

Angela Merkel, who is the first woman and East German to enter the office of Chancellor and is considered one of the most powerful women worldwide, remains not only in the heart of German politics, but also in global dialogues. Their clear positioning in terms of military strength and diplomacy could help shape the necessary political course for Germany and Europe in these uncertain times. Now the question remains: How will the international community react to Merkel's appeal for "peace" and what steps will be taken in the coming months?