SPD Secretary General Kevin Kühnert does not see Germany’s critical infrastructure at risk from China’s participation in a container terminal in Hamburg. He spoke in “Markus Lanz” on Tuesday about a “complete exaggeration of this decision”.
The guests
the foreplay
“For the SPD it is very clear: the clear lesson from what we have experienced in terms of energy dependence on Russia, including with the infrastructure, is that this must not be repeated,” Kühnert emphasized in the ZDF talk show. But:
“I’m talking about dependencies,” the SPD secretary general said, referring to Germany’s main trading partner. “But the dependence is in the trading volume we have and not in this participation” of 35 percent “on the smallest of the transfer points in the port of Hamburg”. Kühnert also accused foreign critics of the deal of selfish motives.
“It is just transparent that other European locations, which have allowed many times more than this participation and are in direct competition with the Port of Hamburg, are now yelling at us ‘Don’t do what we have already done’ without them themselves Get rid of it,” Kühnert said. Instead, a European strategy is needed to gain independence from China.
Lanz provokes, Kühnert countert
With his attitude, the Social Democrat had the whole group in the studio against him, especially the host. In the port of Piraeus, Greece, it also started with a small Chinese participation – “Now they control the whole thing,” Lanz said. “Nobody strives for that here,” replied Kühnert. “Nobody’s going to…?” provoked the moderator (and references the 1961 rhetoric by Walter Ulbricht, who became the greatest liar in German history with the phrase “Nobody intends to build a wall”). “Well, that’s really stupid. That’s below your level,” said the guest.
Lanz didn’t give up. The moderator rejected Kühnert’s call for a China strategy: “That’s talking bubbles. That’s really warm air. You can’t say that we need a strategy and that we have to get out of our dependency and that’s why we intervene first? I’m asking you. What logic does that follow?”
Sönke Neitzel, professor of military history at the University of Potsdam, it looked alike. He drew parallels with Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which had been pushed through by the grand coalition against any resistance from the US, Eastern European countries or security experts, when he suggested: “Let’s meet in five years and see what comes of it.” the. “
Journalist Löhr: ‘China buys influence’
“Of course China buys influence,” she said FAZ business expert Julia Löhr closed the deal with the support of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). “You lose a bit of control,” reads the warning from the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs.
A 35 percent stake in the Chinese state-owned company doesn’t seem like much. But Germany is one piece of the puzzle in a great strategy. “Do we want to allow that?” asked Loehr. She warned of unforeseen consequences for the port of Hamburg if China actually attacks Taiwan and the West then imposes sanctions on the People’s Republic.
Neitzel saw the support of the chancellor and former first mayor of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz, for the deal as a danger that the cabal’s suspicions would arise. Scholz opposes the opinion of six federal ministries: “It is not good for confidence.”
The military expert also saw shortcomings in German support for Ukraine. “We need to do more,” Neitzel demanded, pointing out that if Ukraine had relied on Germany, it wouldn’t exist today.
Historian Neitzel: The Russians are playing for time
The historian warned against false hopes that Russia would run out of money for aggressive warfare. “It’s not even the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning,” Neitzel said at “Markus Lanz”. The war had only just begun. “We are at the end of the first phase. The Russians are playing for time. Now the big question is: what are the Ukrainians capable of?”
About Russia’s current brutal offensive, the expert said: “The good news is that no one has ever won a war with these methods.” Instead, this terror would boost the population’s morale and will to resist, despite all the dire consequences for them.
The military expert considered the fact that Russian ruler Vladimir Putin is now using Iranian combat drones as a sign of weakness: “It’s like the Americans buy their weapons from Amazon.”
The CNN reporter Frederik Pleitgen, who was connected from the Ukraine, saw it in a similar way. The former Moscow correspondent for the US news channel has been reporting from Ukraine for a few weeks and has just been front and center.
He spoke to Lanz about a “blow of destruction” by the Kremlin. The drones would of course spread fear and terror among the population if such a swarm appeared over a city. The son of former WDR director Fritz Pleitgen saw more of a shock effect than a long-term strategic benefit for Russia. Ukraine now manages to intercept more of these combat drones.
sources
Ukraine war and energy crisis at “Markus Lanz”
Soource :Watson
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
