After statements on the Ukraine crisis: Navy chief Kay-Achim Schönbach has to go – politics

The Inspector of the German Navy, Kay-Achim Schönbach, is resigning from his post after controversial statements on the Ukraine conflict. The Ministry of Defense announced this to the representatives in the Bundestag on Saturday evening.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry had previously summoned the German Ambassador to Ukraine, Anka Feldhusen. The Ministry of Defense in Berlin distanced itself from Schönbach’s statements.

This will be replaced “at his own request” and replaced by Rear Admiral Jan Christian Kaack. The marine inspector said in the evening: “My thoughtless statements made in India about security and
Military politics are increasingly weighing on my office. In order to prevent further damage from the German Navy, the Bundeswehr, but above all from the Federal Republic of Germany, I consider this step to be necessary.”

In the midst of the serious tensions with Russia, the German vice admiral had caused irritation with statements about the suspected intentions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Schönbach said in New Delhi that he sees the real threat in China much more than in Russia. He also described an invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine, which many experts fear, as “nonsense” and he doesn’t believe in it.

“What Putin really wants is respect,” the navy chief said in a video circulating on Twitter. Giving Putin that respect requires little to almost no effort. “It would be easy to give him the respect he wants – and probably deserves,” said Schönbach. “We need Russia against China,” Schönbach continued in the video. “Germany also needs Russia.” With Russia on an equal footing, one could in turn bind China and curb their aggression in the rest of the world.

Controversial statement on Crimea

According to Schönbach, “Crimea will never return to Ukraine and our state will not meet the NATO membership criteria,” the letter said.

Of course, one cannot simply accept Russia’s military actions in Chechnya, for example. But some things, including the conquest of Crimea, have happened and can no longer be undone. According to Schönbach, Europe’s sanctions are going in the wrong direction, the better way would be cooperation.

First a reprimand from the Ministry of Defense, then resignation

Schönbach’s uncoordinated statements met with rejection from the Defense Ministry. “In terms of content and choice of words, the statements in no way correspond to the position of the Federal Ministry of Defense,” said a spokesman for the “Bild” newspaper. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) recently spoke of an “extremely threatening situation” in view of more than 100,000 Russian soldiers gathered on the Ukrainian border. She emphasized: “We are alarmed, see the danger – and do everything we can to avert it.”