Matthias Schranner comments:
What did we do wrong?
The war in Ukraine did not start 100 days ago, but in 2014 with the seizure of Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
The sanctions against Russia at that time were very mild and had no deterrent effect. Putin had learned that he could achieve his goals aggressively with almost no punishment.
Many Western countries, such as Germany, did not reduce their dependence on gas and oil but increased it. Expenditures for the Bundeswehr were reduced once again.
A negotiation is about sending signals.
Germany had sent the wrong signals and put itself in a bad negotiating position. The dependence on gas and oil has so far prevented an embargo against Russia.
Putin has achieved many of his goals, the fronts are currently hardening in eastern Ukraine, and he will take hold with his army.
It is interesting that the responsible politicians such as Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel are not aware of any mistakes.
What did we do wrong? We failed to enter a conflict in 2014 and negotiate a long-term solution.
If you avoid a conflict, you will have to negotiate an even more difficult conflict later. This rule applies in all negotiations I know of.
The unity of the EU and the determination of the U.S. give hope that the conflict is now being negotiated. Finally.
Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights.
