The past is now catching up with Germany

In the early 1990's, when Putin was an official in the St. Petersburg mayoral office of Anatoly Sobchak (left: Putin and Sobchack), a deal was struck between Putin and German businessmen and banks that,

"...involved the export of $100m worth of raw materials in
exchange for food for the citizens of St Petersburg. The materials were exported, but the food never arrived, as Marine Salye (bottom right), who was put in charge of a city council investigation into the deal, and who fastidiously kept the documents from that time, identified Putin's fingerprints all over it. This deal opened the floodgates for German businessmen to "co-operate in a spirit of mutual goodwill in meeting the economic needs of both countries". (cf. blog entry 7 November 2014) (cf. also: Maeve McClenaghan : Bureau of Investigative Journalism : 19 April 2012)

At the time of this deal Helmut Kohl (German CDU Leader) was then Chancellor of Germany and, in retrospect, this criminal deal of Putin served as the 'seed corn' that financed Putin's rise,

" ... through the ranks and being elected president in 2000, after serving in the role for several months following the resignation of Boris Yeltsin." (ibid Maeve McClenaghan) (my emphasis)

Fast forward to 2022 and, as Guy Chazan and Max Seddon (left) write,

"German officials say that the government is playing an important role in keeping diplomatic channels open with Russia. But critics say Berlin has failed to grasp the enormity of the threat Russia poses to Ukraine. They worry that Germany, which draws 55 per cent of its imported gas from Russia, cares more about the impact sanctions will have on its economy than about forming a united front against Moscow. Some Nato countries have even begun to doubt that Berlin is a reliable partner. (Financial Times : 31 January 2022) (my emphasis) 

DW News: 31 January 2022

They further write that,

"Nord Stream 2 epitomises the dilemma Germany faces. Its industry is hugely reliant on Russian gas, and will become even more so as the country phases out nuclear power and coal. “For years we have had a close mutual dependence,” says Markus Krebber, chief executive of German energy firm RWE. “We need Russian natural gas, and Russia needs foreign currency. We had tensions in the past, but the gas always came.”" (ibid Guy Chazan and Max Seddon) (my emphasis)

This dangerously 'blinkered' view of the 'Markus Krebbers' of Germany's political and business elites has also opened up the 'can of worms' of Germany's recent historical past. 

As  Guy Chazan and Max Seddon write,

"The arms issue also goes right to the heart of German guilt about the second world war. The prospect that Russian soldiers might again be killed by weapons from Germany is one many in Berlin view with horror.

But the argument about Germany’s war guilt enrages Ukrainians. They counter that it was Ukraine that bore the brunt of Wehrmacht and SS atrocities between 1941-44, suffering far more civilian casualties than Russia, and so has a much greater claim on German sympathy." (ibid Chazan and Seddon) (my emphasis) (below: German Death Squads in Ukraine during WW2)

Meanwhile, as reported by Al Jazeera,

"The United States and Russia have sparred over the Ukraine crisis at the UN Security Council, with Washington warning of a “horrific” war should Moscow decide to invade its neighbour and Russian diplomats playing down the threat of military conflict.

US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield (left), told the council during a special open session on Monday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would threaten global security." (Al Jazeera : 31 mJanuary 2022) (my emphasis) 

Youtube : DW News: 1 February 2022

As Putin threatens the global security of the world, and German politicians twist themselves into 'political pretzels' trying to justify themselves for not sending defensive weaponry to Ukraine, the fallout for Germany is that their past war against the Ukrainian people is now fast catching up with them.

(to be continued)