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Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach fired after Putin said he deserved “respect” and said Kyiv would never reclaim Crimea.
The head of the German navy has resigned at home and abroad for saying that Ukraine will never reclaim the Crimean peninsula. Attached by Russia In 2014.
At an event in New Delhi, India, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach also spoke of the importance of Russia’s opposition to China, and suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin deserved “respect.”
“Is Russia really interested in having a small strip of land in Ukraine? No. Or to integrate into the country? No, this is nonsense. Putin is under pressure probably because he knows he can do it and because he knows he is splitting the European Union, ”Schoenbach said.
“What he (Putin) really wants is respect. And, my God, giving respect to someone is low cost, even at no cost.
Comments a sensitive time As Russia has done stacked ten thousand soldiers on the Ukrainian border. Russia denies plans to invade Ukraine.
Diplomatic efforts are focused on preventing one climbing.
“Does Russia really want a small strip of land in Ukraine? Or integration into the country, not this is nonsense. Probably Putin is putting pressure, he knows he can do it and he is splitting the EU .. but what he really wants is a high level of respect, “said the German army chief in Delhi. https://t.co/qDeqQp408X pic.twitter.com/MICZ0O7U78
– Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) January 21, 2022
Schoenbach’s comments in the video sparked outrage in Ukraine and called on the German ambassador to step down.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry has called on Germany to publicly reject the army chief’s comments, and said in a statement that it could harm Western efforts to remove the situation.
“Ukraine is grateful to Germany for its support since 2014, as well as for its diplomatic efforts to resolve the armed conflict in Russia and Ukraine. But Germany’s current statements are disappointing and go against that support and efforts, “Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet.
German stand
The comments also sparked a quick outcry and rebuke in Berlin.
On Saturday night, Schoenbach resigned, saying he wanted to prevent further damage to Germany and its military.
“The notes I made in India … are putting more and more tension on my office,” he said. “I see this step (resignation) as necessary to prevent further damage to the German navy, German forces and, in particular, the Federal Republic of Germany.”
In a statement, the German Navy said that Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht had accepted Schoenbach’s resignation and appointed him as his interim head of the navy.
The German government has said it joins forces with NATO allies over Russia’s military threat to Ukraine, and has warned that Moscow will pay a high price if it makes a military move against its neighbor.
But unlike many other NATO countries, Berlin says it will not supply Ukraine with weapons, arguing that it does not want to escalate tensions further.
On Saturday, the first shipment of a US $ 200 million security package arrived in Ukraine from Kiev, the US embassy said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blink’s visit to Kiev this week was followed by concerns about the rise of the Russian military.
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