Dr. Tomasz Teluk for Fronda.pl: Germany gave Russia permission to attack Ukraine
Dr. Tomasz Teluk, president of the Globalization Institute foundation, expert of the Three Seas project, journalist: In general, Germany, also due to historical events and the imposition of powers, is now a country with very limited defense capabilities. They have not invested in the army at the turn of the last decades, due to the aforementioned historical factors, but also due to the fact that they completely rely on the protective umbrella of the United States. We are currently witnessing some sudden turn. There are declarations of enormous investments in the army, ranging from F-35 aircraft and ending with the anti-missile shield. There were also attempts to build a common pan-European army.
In my opinion, the geography of NATO has changed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Washington realized that the main partner of the Americans in Europe can only be eminently pro-American countries, such as Poland and partly Romania. On the other hand, you absolutely cannot rely on those countries that have the strongest political position in the European Union, and therefore on Germany and France. These countries cooperate very strongly economically with Russia and have been its silent allies for years.
So, in my opinion, the burden of building this new security structure, which the US President Joe Biden did not necessarily have to inform about during his official speeches during his visit to Poland, has already been shifted from the axis of the Weimar Triangle to the Three Seas Initiative or the Bucharest Nine initiative. I also think that Warsaw will play the role of this focal point when it comes to this new hand.
However, there are also voices that Germany, contrary to what is commonly said about it, is fulfilling its role well in NATO. Do you agree with such opinions?
Germany is simply a base for certain US troops, such as the base in Rammstein, or in other locations. They also participate in the "Nuclear Sharning" program, ie leasing the American nuclear arsenal. It is worth mentioning that they wanted to give it up a few years ago. Moreover, in line with the German policy of the Greens and the local Left, they wanted to give up nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants altogether. It was then, when Mrs. Georgette Mosbacher was the ambassador to Poland, that Poland was indicated as a country that could take over this nuclear arsenal.
So, Germany is playing a role there, but it is not a role in any way glorious. It is worth recalling here how the German troops function within NATO structures. Thus, the Germans are present as rotating troops in Lithuania. However, their presence there is one big scandal. The soldiers complained that they lacked basic underwear. There were also some social events and scandals, including homosexual rape. As a result, the entire unit of German sappers was recalled from Lithuania.
What's more, as reported recently by "Handelsblatt", if there was a conflict, the ammunition in Germany would not be enough even for one day. So it is a country that does not play a big role in NATO and will not. It is much more realistic to focus on Poland as NATO's third army, with the number of around 300,000. soldiers, large investments in armaments, including an anti-missile shield, the purchase of F-35 fighters and, perhaps, ultimately participation in the "Nuclear Shering" program, which for political reasons is currently unrealistic.
It was recently read that our anti-missile shield should be shared with Germany. Do you share this view
We absolutely should not accept this type of investment in any collective form. We can, of course, do it in NATO structures, and this American structure, where some elements of the Patriot system are in Bucharest, and in Poland a base is being built in Redzikowo, in this sense, yes. On the other hand, surrendering to Berlin's sovereignty and constructing a hybrid of Germany - Poland - the Baltic countries at a time when Berlin is Russia's main economic partner in Europe and trades with it without any human reflection and embarrassment about gas and oil, which wanted to make all Europe dependent on Russian gas , and then from hydrogen imported through the same pipelines - and this was also included in the NordStream-2 project - we absolutely cannot trust Germany in terms of national security.
The German press has recently spoken loudly about the German government's plans to invest in F-35 fighters and an anti-missile shield. Due to such unceremonious relations with Russia, do they have any chance of buying the most modern military equipment from the USA?
This is definitely a concern for Chancellor Scholz, as Germany will have to queue for the F-35 planes. Poland has already placed such an order and we received it much earlier. They are not completely written off, so perhaps they will be able to buy such machines as well. In my opinion, the Joe Biden administration has a very sober assessment of the situation. Perhaps, during his visit to Warsaw, we would prefer to hear something like the patting that previous US President Donald Trump provided us some time ago during his visit, when he referred to the beautiful pages of our history. But Biden made the case very soberly by stating that truth will prevail because truth is the most important thing. Throughout his speech there was a thought, that we should prepare ourselves for a very long and arduous confrontation with Putin's Russia, just as it used to be with communism. He did not focus on the details, but highlighted the dangers, which I took positively.
Germany has long been systematically strengthening Russia by financing its subsequent attacks on sovereign countries, and in Ukraine also war crimes. Of course, airing at the same time and planning your own benefits. Doesn't what is happening now resemble the scenario from the interwar period, where this time it was Germany that enabled Russia to build its position?
This is even a historical event, and in this respect nothing has changed since the partitions of Poland. You could say that Germany is negotiating with Russia over our heads, and we are surrounded by enemies from everywhere. In this respect, our geopolitical situation today is similar to what is also faced by Israel, which is also surrounded by hostile countries. In my opinion, we should follow the same path, i.e. universal military training, strong territorial defense, access to the nuclear arsenal. In Israel, every citizen, including women, serves two years in the military. This is the time to properly train a soldier. We, on the other hand, are still in a kind of lethargy.
From the new school year, defense training enters schools, which has already been approved by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of National Defense also announces that every high school graduate will have to be able to shoot short and long firearms, which seems positive, but the concept of two shooting training courses throughout the entire period of high school is definitely not enough, right?
Definitely not enough. These are skills that need to be trained. I personally have completed several training courses of this type and I know well from my own experience that it cannot be learned within a few visits to the shooting range. It must be intensive training in handling weapons and developing habits, which after all takes time. Not to mention tactical training for, for example, light infantry. This formation, observing what is happening in Ukraine, is very important during the city fights. The current training system must be transformed and, above all, massaged, because today we are one of the most vulnerable countries in the world, and in Europe for sure. Not only when it comes to having a weapon, but most of all because of the ability to use it. This has to change radically in Poland.
Is it necessary to conclude from President Joe Biden's speech in Poland that Germany, as the leading NATO member so far, will give way to, for example, Poland and Romania in our part of the continent?
I think that Americans do not lack realism and it may be that the Three Seas Initiative and the Bucharest Nine will be the formats that will define cooperation within NATO. Of course, let us not forget about France, because it is a country that is a nuclear power and has the greatest nuclear potential in Europe. However, here, too, we see the very close ties between Paris and Moscow.
We have already achieved a lot to this day. We wanted a Ford Trump, and we have Rzeszów, which has become a key logistics base for US troops in terms of the transfer of weapons to Ukraine. The training layer also takes place this way. Poland is playing an increasingly important role and these troops will be increased, despite the fact that the current movements within NATO are actually apparent - they are relocations, but without increasing the contingent.
How to understand the statement of the German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht during a meeting with the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington that Germany is the second supplier of arms to Ukraine
Most likely, she was confused with Russia. After all, France is the largest supplier of weapons to Russia, and Germany is in second place. The German minister simply had to slip, I suppose. After all, we hear that little Estonia supplied Ukraine with six times more weapons and weapons than Germany. So if we hear that private companies producing weapons in Germany have lined up to the government and are just waiting for approval, as revealed by Ukrainian sources, the situation looks to be at least strange.
It would be a rather gloomy joke if she meant that this weapon goes to Ukraine via Russia and is used there, inter alia, to kill civilians ...
Many countries send weapons to Ukraine. The Swedes will donate 2,000 SAAB manual rocket launchers. Finland also announced deliveries.
Yes, but the Czechs have already sent a lot of weapons and other countries too.
There has recently been information that the Polish "Piorun" launchers are sensational and perform well in Ukraine.
Yes, it is currently the best weapon of this type in the world. Its effectiveness is close to 100 percent. These missiles perfectly avoid all kinds of obstacles or flares, for example, which are often used to deceive a flying projectile. It is a great weapon and the successor is even better.
Perhaps - humorously speaking and recalling the pumping of Russian energy to support all Slavic movements in order to quarrel Poles - it would be worth naming one of the next versions of this anti-aircraft system "PERUN", which would probably raise the pressure of decision-makers in the Kremlin in a healthy way?
As an interesting fact, our Territorial Defense Forces have been equipped with Stingers for a year now.
And how do you assess the fact that Germany is not giving up Russian raw materials
Germany was building its advantage on this and was to become a gas hub for the whole of Europe and put pressure on other countries. To put it brutally, they planned to colonize us consistently together with other Central European countries. Putin, on the other hand, turned their plan completely upside down, and now Germany, despite its rage, will try to rebuild itself somehow. It may also become completely opposite to Berlin's assumptions, and it is Poland that will become a hub for other countries in our region. After all, we have a gas terminal, and the Baltic Pipe will also be launched soon. Perhaps these resources will allow not only to satisfy domestic needs, but also to redistribute it.
The Russians prematurely published a text on the great victory over Ukraine in the pages of RIA Nowosti. There was also a declaration of military, cultural and ideological war on the whole West. Is the Germans unaware of this or is this information not reaching, for example, Chancellor Scholz and his advisers?
I think they don't allow you to realize that it might be true. On the other hand, they are convinced that good relations with Russia will contribute to their continued success. They are not at all interested in what Russia is doing in Ukraine. The scandalous words of the German finance minister the day before Russia's aggression that Ukraine only had a few hours left only confirm this thesis. They just allowed the aggression. They were only interested in earnings and in making their own profits, and for nothing to bear the suffering of the people we observe every day. The freedom and sovereignty of other nations does not interest them at all.
At present, it is not entirely clear how the situation will go on and - to put it in jargon - Germany is in a great stride, because it is not able to fully control supplies in Europe, and on the other hand, already knowing the Russian plans to destroy them, they should turn their backs on Russia or try to change power in Moscow. So let's hope they will play as a team with the entire NATO and European Union community.
Thank you kindly for the interview