Zelensky's last straw

There is great applause when Volodymyr Selenskyj steps onto the stage at the Munich Security Conference (MSC). But it is an oppressive, almost pitying applause that resounds towards the Ukrainian president on Saturday morning.

"No decision on Ukraine without Ukraine, no decision on Europe without Europe," Zelenskyj shouts into the hall. But it is more than doubtful that the new US administration will listen to him. In any case, Donald Trump does not give the impression that he cares much about Ukraine in his announced "peace negotiations."

Zelenskyj is trying not to let his increasing despair in the face of his country's difficult situation show too much. "If the US decides to go down this path, to withdraw, that is not good," he says. "But we have to be prepared for that." He is still pinning his hopes on the EU, to which he is fervently appealing not to let up in its support.

"Decades of old relations between Europe and America are now coming to an end," said Zelensky, referring to the appearance of US Vice President James David "JD" Vance on Friday. "From now on, things will be different, and Europe must adapt to this." He is "sure that you too believe in Europe, and I can only call on you to act, for your own good."

Some people do not understand what is going on in Washington, said Zelensky. "But we must first understand what is happening in Europe." The EU needs a common foreign and security policy and must therefore act confidently internationally. The end of the war in Ukraine must be a European success.

"Moscow will tear Europe apart if we as Europe do not trust each other," says Zelensky. Despite widespread skepticism towards Brussels, Europe has the choice between decisions made there - or those from Moscow. When he says this, the hall of the Bayrischer Hof Hotel falls silent. A slight murmur went through the ranks of the numerous politicians and military personnel.

But Zelenskyj is not only giving the strongest pro-European speech to date at the Munich Security Conference. The Ukrainian president is also the only one to address the attack on the protective cover of the damaged nuclear reactor in Chernobyl on Saturday, which took place shortly before the conference. "This is not just madness," said the president. "Putin does not want peace, he is not preparing for dialogue."

A stable solution can only be achieved with long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, warns Zelenskyj. "I will not take NATO membership off the negotiating table," he also says. But Trump has already taken that off the table. That is unlikely to change.

Scholz does not want a “dictated peace”

Olaf Scholz was on the agenda before Selenskyj. "The Russian war against Ukraine must end as quickly as possible," said the Chancellor in his speech. It is therefore right that direct talks with Russia are now taking place, including Ukraine.

He was "very happy that the American government has reaffirmed our common goal of preserving Ukraine's sovereign independence," said Scholz. Peace will only come if Ukraine's sovereignty is secured. "A dictated peace will therefore never find our support," said Scholz.

But what will follow from his bold announcement if that is exactly what happens? The Chancellor failed to answer this question. Scholz simply said that the Europeans would support Ukraine "for as long as it is necessary". Germany would also be "in a position to continue to support Ukraine at the same high level as before". But that, and Scholz knows this too, would never be enough to compensate for the possible, indeed probable, failure of the USA.

The Chancellor sharply rejected the US government's interference in the federal election campaign in favor of the AfD. "That is not appropriate - especially not among friends and allies," said Scholz about the scandalous appearance of US Vice President Vance and his meeting with AfD leader Alice Weidel on Friday. He will not accept outsiders interfering in our democracy, in our elections, in the democratic formation of opinion in favor of this party," Scholz continued. "We ourselves will decide how our democracy will continue."

He was grateful that the US Vice President had stressed during a visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial on Thursday that such crimes against humanity must never be repeated. An overwhelming majority in Germany "firmly opposes those who glorify or justify criminal National Socialism." However, this is the case in the ranks of the AfD. A commitment to "never again" is "therefore incompatible with support for the AfD," said Scholz.

SPD leader Saskia Esken told taz that she was "very grateful to Scholz for making it clear: We will not tolerate interference in our democracy either by Russian propaganda or by the illiberal Trump administration."

She also supported Scholz's comments on Ukraine. Putin's imperialist war of aggression against Ukraine had "trampled the European peace order into the dust". Esken said that this aggression, which violated international law, should not be allowed to be "transformed into a success by a dictated peace".

CDU/CSU candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took part in a panel discussion on Ukraine at the conference, called it "absolutely unacceptable" that Russia and the USA "are negotiating without Ukraine and the Europeans at the table." At Vance's speech on Friday, Merz also rejected any US interference in the German federal election campaign.

Left Party leader van Aken warns against pandering to Trump

The Left Party did not send any representatives to Munich. But its chairman Jan van Aken spoke from Berlin. The new US administration is playing a "dangerous power game," said the former UN bioweapons inspector. Its behavior leaves no doubt that the US is concerned that the three superpowers - the USA, China and Russia - will divide the world among themselves and stake out their spheres of influence.

"The German government and the EU must not give in to this return to backyard politics," demanded the Left Party politician. They must make it clear that "the only legitimate framework for solving global challenges is not self-proclaimed superpowers, but the United Nations - the community of all countries." On the other hand, any attempt to curry favor with the new US government in the hope of grabbing a few more crumbs from the table of the superpowers will drive the world further into a highly dangerous bloc mentality.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, van Aken said that the panicked warnings of European politicians about a possible Trump-Putin deal at the expense of Ukraine seemed "downright naive". It had long been foreseeable that Trump would negotiate according to his own rules. Instead of developing an independent diplomatic strategy, however, the EU had relied almost exclusively on arms deliveries .

That was a "historic mistake with catastrophic consequences." Trump is now taking over and he will end the war in his own way - with "deals" and concessions to Putin, which Europe will ultimately have to accept helplessly. "As great as the relief at the end of the war would be, a new debate on deterrence would just as certainly break out in Europe," fears van Aken, who spoke of a "disaster across the board."