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German state media DW:
German navy chief under fire for Putin, Crimea comments
Ukraine summoned the German ambassador after Germany's navy chief said Crimea was "lost" and Putin "probably" deserved respect. Berlin distanced itself from the remarks.
Vice-admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach said the West could give Vladimir Putin respect
Germany faced a diplomatic incident on Saturday following comments made by Navy chief Kay-Achim Schönbach on Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ukraine crisis.
During a visit to India, Schönbach gave a talk at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, where he said Putin "probably" deserved respect.
"What he really wants is respect," the vice admiral said, speaking in English in remarks that were posted on a video on YouTube.
"And, my God, giving someone respect is low cost, even no cost. ... It is easy to give him the respect he really demands — and probably also deserves," Schönbach said, calling Russia an old and important country.
Schönbach said Russia's actions in Ukraine needed to be addressed, but added that "the Crimea Peninsula is gone: It will never come back — this is a fact."
The remarks directly contradicted the official view held by the EU and the US. Washington and its allies say that Moscow's 2014 annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine was unacceptable and must be reversed.
Swedish defense minister: 'We must be prepared for all scenarios' when dealing with Russia
On Saturday, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said it has summoned German Ambassador Anka Feldhusen to stress "the categorical unacceptability" of Schönbach's comments.Schönbach apologizes on Twitter
The navy chief's comments come as Russia has gathered tens of thousand of troops on Ukraine's borders and many worry that an invasion could be in the works. Russia has denied any planned aggression against Ukraine.The German government made no official statement, although it distanced itself from Schönbach's comments on Saturday.
"The content and choice of words of the statements in no way correspond to the position of the Federal Ministry of Defense," a German Defense Ministry spokesman told public broadcaster ZDF.
Schönbach must now explain himself to his superior, Inspector General Eberhard Zorn, the ministry said. Additionally, Germany's ruling coalition will discuss the navy chief's statements on Monday, ZDF reported.
For his part, Schönbach issued am apology on his Twitter account. "There is no need to quibble: it was clearly a mistake," he tweeted.
"My defense policy remarks during a talk session at a think tank in India reflected my personal opinion in that moment. They in no way reflect the official position of the defense ministry," he wrote.
Ukraine: comments are 'disappointing'
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on Germany to reject Schönbach's comments regarding Crimea, saying they undermine the efforts to counter Russian aggression."Ukraine is grateful to Germany for the support it has already provided since 2014, as well as for the diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict. But Germany's current statements are disappointing and run counter to that support and effort," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in tweet.
Blinken: 'We will continue to stand with Ukraine'
"The German partners must stop undermining unity with such words and actions and encouraging (Russian President) Vladimir Putin to launch a new attack on Ukraine," Kuleba added.Kyiv also highlighted its "deep disappointment" at the German government's position "on the failure to provide defense weapons to Ukraine." The lack of weapons support is another point of contention between the two countries.
On Friday, Germany reportedly went as far as block Estonia from sending its German-made weapons to Ukraine.
Berlin has long argued that it does not support sending weapons to active conflict zones and stressed that such deliveries would hinder negotiations and a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
German navy chief quits after Putin, Crimea gaffes – DW – 01/22/2022
Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach stepped down as the head of the German navy after publicly saying Crimea was lost to Ukraine and that Vladimir Putin "probably" deserved respect.
www.dw.com
@aziqbal , When I tried to tell you these dynamics, you didn't believe me.
