During each of my fairly numerous visits to Ukraine and meetings with politicians and journalists there, I have always been struck by one great illusion, to which both Lviv and Kiev have fully succumbed. Regardless of the differences, the entire pro-Western political camp was strongly oriented towards Germany. Definitely and beyond any doubt. It was there, in Berlin, that not only a beacon would shine to show Ukraine the way to the West, but also where its security would be safeguarded in the face of the risk of further Russian aggression.

The timidly raised Polish warnings to be wary of such unconditional trust in the Germans, who always put interests with Moscow above European solidarity, were received with a sense of specific superiority. I had the impression that the hosts thought that the Poles were simply jealous because the relations between Warsaw and Berlin, especially during the rule of the United Right, were and still are not good. They did not understand that these tensions are the result of the perception among some elites in Poland of what and how the European hegemon actually plays the game. For the further we go the worse it gets, and German lust, although nowadays realised by other means, is in fact aimed at domination, subjugation and the recreation of a concert of superpowers in Europe.

In Kiev itself there have always been many signs of German sympathy, from cafes to museums. German foundations penetrated the local elite like a knife through butter, and every gesture was taken as an obvious commitment to mutual loyalty.

Error!

Today, the tone of the Ukrainian press has entirely changed. And only the awareness that there is still a great deal at stake for the German government prevents the authors of various statements and comments from expressing themselves more forcefully.

On the website of The Kyiv Independent, an online newspaper founded by the dismissed journalists of the Kyiv Post, I read a very interesting yet bitter text by Igor Kossov. The publicist provides an accurate description of the German attitude towards the issue of Ukraine’s security. He assesses that they are at all costs preventing the international community from taking tougher measures to stop Russia.

As Ukraine is encircled by Russian forces, it’s relying on Western allies to send weapons or threaten Russia with extreme sanctions to hold an invasion at bay.Many people in the German government don’t want to do either. This weakens the West’s threat of economic retaliation and emboldens Russia at a very tense moment for Europe.

Kossov quotes experts who call the German attitude: „a refusal of reality”.

This is not just a publicist’s impression. The Russians were seriously frightened by the possibility of being disconnected from the international SWIFT banking system. This was visible in the tone of the Russian media. It would be a total disaster for the economy there, paralysing all financial transfers with the world, a stab in the power elite. But immediately the German economic daily Handelsblatt hastened to assure us that the German political and economic elite do not take this option into account. According to the newspaper, the German government does not even wish to have any talk on the subject.

An equally effective tool of pressure could be if the government in Berlin explicitly made further cooperation on Nord Stream 2 conditional on leaving Ukraine alone. But as soon as the leaks about such an option emerged, German Defence Minister Christine Lamrecht said that „the pipeline should not be dragged into this conflict”. And Kevin Kuhnert, SPD general secretary, said that international disputes were being used to „bury projects that have always been a thorn in some people’s sides”.

Germany, a powerful arms exporter is also consistently opposed to arms supplies to Ukraine.

Germany refuses to sell defensive weapons to Ukraine, despite the threat of a Russian invasion, but at the same time sells weapons to Middle Eastern countries, which fuels conflicts there

— Andy Scollick, an Irish defence consultant and analyst, noted on this point.

Regardless of whether Germany unofficially refused to allow planes with British supplies to fly over its territory or the British - probably anticipating a refusal, they did not request it at all - its position is clear. We should recall that in December Ukrainian officials accused the government in Berlin of blocking the purchase of defence weapons by Ukraine through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency.

As you can see, tools that are not at all military, that require only minimal risk to German interests and that can save Ukraine are rejected. Instead, the new head of the German Foreign Ministry after talks in Moscow states: „we see great potential for cooperation on a number of issues”.

Russia and Germany are countries which play an important role in Europe. Without the participation of the largest country in the world, which is Russia, it will be impossible to deal with the climate crisis

— Annalena Baerbock pointed out after her talks with Sergey Lavrov.

This is the message that is being sent by this pillar of the European Union at such a difficult time for Ukraine, but also for Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania and Poland.

The soldiers dying on the Ukrainian front, but also those freezing on the Polish-Belarusian border, must have been truly moved by this concern for the climate.

This is the famous European solidarity. If that is what they are doing to the peoples of Central and Eastern Europe now, what will they do to them once they have built their ‘federation’, this new Fourth Reich, when the smaller nation states are stripped of their sovereignty attributes? Will they trade with Moscow, as they have traded the Ukrainians? Very likely.

The Ukrainian lesson has taught us a lot about how the Germans imagine a federal Europe, and how little they are willing to sacrifice for the other nations of Europe.

We must remember this. There are politicians in Poland who see the future of our homeland under German protectorate, lying to the Poles about the ‘holy peace’ and ‘ full security’ they will gain by submitting to Berlin. This is a lie, and neither will happen. There will only be costs and trading influence in Poland with Moscow. This is an objective that unfortunately remains a constant in German policy. This is why they are putting so much effort into regaining full control over the Vistula, why they are organising such a strong propaganda fire against the pro-Polish camp, why they sent their personnel resources here several months ago.