Debate contributions by Michael VON DER SCHULENBURG

Mr President! Vice-President of the Commission! The European Union's foreign and security policy is a disaster that will continue to affect future generations. The European Union has lost its credibility internationally and does not play a role in the conflicts in and around Europe. Why this is the case is stated in this report, which we are discussing today. For this report is full of self-righteousness, full of self-overestimation, full of moral arrogance and full of senseless threats while denying reality. With such an attitude, we make ourselves the big losers in Europe, in the world, which is changing drastically around us. Especially in view of the events around Greenland, we Europeans need a radical new beginning in our foreign and security policy. The first thing we should do is focus on peace in Ukraine and across the European continent. Such a policy must be based on the recognition of existing realities and on a balance of interests.

Madam President, Mrs. Minister! If the Council were to meet tomorrow, it should not seek the questionable appropriation of Russian assets, but a fundamental reorientation of our Ukraine strategy. Because with the current policy, we are driving the European Union against the wall, with devastating consequences for our citizens. A policy of militarization, sanctions, arms deliveries, preparations for war while refusing talks with Russia has led to economic, social decline, enormous debt and a gradual dismantling of our democracy. Tomorrow's decision by the Council could also lead Europe into a financial crisis. And we certainly do not help Ukraine with this war strategy. So we have to pull the emergency brake. Since neither the Council nor the Commission are in a position to change strategy, I call on you, the democratically legitimate representatives of the citizens of Europe, to seek a way out of the catastrophic situation of the European Union.

Madam President, Commissioner! I feel that this debate is more of an example of the failed Ukraine policy. Since I came here, so many promises have been made to the Ukrainians, and I have the impression that we have not kept any of them. The destruction of the Russian army did not take place. The sanctions will not sanction the Russian economy. The 0.5 percent of the gross national product that we promised the Ukrainians every year has probably not been transferred. There will also be no NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine, and I fear that an Article 5 guarantee will also remain an illusion. The Russian credits we are planning here will probably go the same way. What do we do with it? We are only harming ourselves, and above all we are harming Ukraine. I am still convinced that our primary task must be to keep Ukraine as a sovereign, functioning European state, so that we can once live in peace with its neighbours, including Russia. This can only be achieved by negotiating, negotiating, negotiating and not stealing any money.

I forgot your name, you know, I worked for 34 years for the UN in war countries, and these countries, in the end, had always negotiated. The biggest war was Iran and Iraq, with 1 million people dead, where they used chemical weapons and all the types of things. In the end, they had to talk and they found a solution. I think that we have to do this here too – we have to do it to protect us. The UN Charter does not say that you should not use force; it says that we should negotiate in order to prevent the use of force. I think if you ask about this, this is what we have not done in the beginning.

Madam President, What has the Danish Presidency brought us so far? We are immersed in an exaggerated war hysteria, in hardened enemy images, in a deep hatred of Russia and in questionable historical images. What do we want to achieve with it? That's not politics. Do we want a war with Russia? Do we really want to risk completely destroying Ukraine? And do we want to risk that this war will spread to Europe, so that we are also in a war? There must be an alternative to this. Hate is a bad adviser. The self-righteousness that so many have here is precisely the lubricant for wars and not for peace. We have to rethink, and we have to try to negotiate, we have to talk to the others. This also means that we must have respect for our opponents. We need to develop respect. We must try to defeat our opponents, which also means: Russia – listen. We must also try to understand why this war is. Otherwise we will not find a solution. That is why I call on this Parliament: Don't get caught up in the war hysteria. Try - this is the task of all parliamentarians - to finally find a peaceful solution.

Madam President, When we debate the support of front states to Russia, I wonder what kind of world we actually live in in this Parliament. At a time when an American president is now blaming his predecessor for the war in Ukraine and even accusing President Zelenskyy of provoking the war, you continue to speak of an unprovoked war of aggression by Putin. At a time when President Trump declares that this war is the reaction to NATO expansion on Russia's borders and he can even understand Putin, you keep talking about Russian imperialism. At a time when the presidents of the United States and Russia will meet to end this bloody war, you now want to march martially on the borders with Russia. Wouldn't it be time for this House to finally turn from war to peace and think about how we can help the Ukrainian people, who have been so badly betrayed by us, to rebuild a life of peace?

Madam President, Let me start with Latin: ‘Si vis pacem, para bellum’: Whoever wants peace, prepares for war. Since I have been in this Parliament, I have been constantly hearing this Roman wisdom to justify the militarisation of the European Union. I am convinced that there will be no peace at the end of this militarisation that we are undertaking, and that perhaps we will even lose integration, European integration, in the process. The fact that we believe in such a thing from the Roman Empire says a lot – it is a perversion. For Rome was not a democracy, it was a slave-holding society built on military strength to subjugate and exploit other countries. That cannot be the example for us in the European Union! And then there's the second: The fact that we refer to something that was 2500 years ago no longer corresponds to reality. At that time we were still fighting with throwing spears and short swords, today we have atomic bombs, hypersonic missiles, we have cyberwar, we are at war in space – and these things cannot be compared at all. And if it is said here that we should have food for 72 hours, then I would only say that we will not survive World War III with it. We should remember that there is a much more important document for us: This is the UN Charter. And the UN Charter keeps us all committed to conducting negotiations – negotiations to resolve conflicts and end wars. And I therefore call on you to end the path to war that you are preparing here.

Mr President! The Heads of State or Government of the European Council today face a great responsibility to the people of Europe to protect them from the increasing dangers of the war in Ukraine. Since the existing Ukraine policy has completely failed in this, they must now take the courageous step of facing the realities of the war again. To do this, they must finally stop the one-sided accusations against Russia and recognize a more realistic assessment of the reasons that led to this war. They must stop clinging to the illusion of a military victory over Russia and make a more realistic assessment of the devastating military situation in the Ukraine war. They must stop believing that more weapons would bring peace. For every war: You don't put out a fire with gasoline. They must stop rejecting any form of diplomacy and negotiations without preconditions with Russia, and open up to peace proposals such as those put forward by China and Brazil. They must stop making promises to Ukraine that they will no longer be able to keep.

Madam President, After more than two and a half years of what is probably the most brutal war in post-war history on European soil, which has already killed hundreds of thousands of people and crippled hundreds of thousands more, this Parliament has no choice but to adopt a kind of war resolution. This resolution risks becoming a charter for a total war that can spread to Europe and destroy us all. We certainly wouldn't help Ukraine with that. With this attitude of war, the European Union is increasingly alone. The United States has begun to withdraw from this war, and the BRICS countries are sending a signal by holding their next summit in Russia. The majority of our citizens now also reject the continuation of this war. Instead of financing a fiery spiral of provocation and war, we should now turn to the all-important task of saving peace in Ukraine and Europe through negotiations.