DÜSSELDORF (dpa-AFX) – Green Party leader Omid Nouripour has defended military support for Ukraine against the Russian attack, but at the same time committed himself to working for peace. “We will always remain a peace party,” Nouripour promised at a small party conference of the Greens on Saturday in Düsseldorf. Green Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in particular did everything to prevent war, but the Kremlin had no interest in it.
In a video message to delegates, Baerbock said she was grateful “that our party is taking responsibility at these moments.” That she was willing not to duck away, “to decide on things that were not previously in our party program”. It is a strength and not a weakness to think about things in new and different ways. “Therefore, we say clearly and unequivocally, not only that we stand by the side of the Ukrainians, but that we think it’s right that we are now also jointly supplying heavy weapons for the Ukrainians’ self-defense.” You act and argue at the same time. “We’re quarreling whether we’re doing enough. Because even with these arms deliveries, we don’t know when this war will be over.”
Baerbock again spoke out against the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine. “We have to keep a cool head,” no matter how heartbreaking it is to look at the pictures. “We bear responsibility for ensuring that this war does not become a war across Europe for millions more people.” There are fears that in order to enforce a no-fly zone, NATO would have to shoot down Russian planes if necessary and thus be drawn into the war.
Nouripour said that as the party in power, the Greens were facing reality. That does not mean saying goodbye to efforts to find peaceful solutions to conflicts. The deployment of the military should only be “a very, very last resort”. The situation in Ukraine is now forcing the Greens to do things they wouldn’t have done a few weeks ago, including supplying heavy weapons.
“It is our job as Greens not to give up the historically grown legitimate culture of military restraint. That is and will remain true,” said Nouripour. The NATO goal, according to which two percent of the gross domestic product should be spent on armaments every year, is wrong. The Greens did not agree to the anchoring in the Basic Law, said Nouripour, who brought in a motion from the Federal Executive Committee on Ukraine policy. However, the Bundeswehr had to change massively, for example in procurement. But it is also important to use it against cyber attacks or against disinformation campaigns.
Nouripour warned of a global catastrophe if Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “perfidious plan” to blockade Ukrainian ports succeeds. Then important grain exports from Ukraine would be prevented and hunger would increase in the world. “It cannot be beaten for unscrupulousness.” It is not only about helping the people in Ukraine, but also about preventing this.
Group leader Britta Haßelmann emphasized: “This is not about compromises”. But: “It’s about the government, the Russian government, having to stop all combat operations immediately.”
Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth called Russia a “flawless dictatorship”. “The culture and the cultural identity of Ukraine are to be destroyed.” Ukraine must be able to defend itself, even with heavy weapons, but Roth warned against a one-sided debate and an armament spiral.
While there was a lot of support for Ukraine, several speakers expressed skepticism about the special fund of 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr. Of course, the Bundeswehr must be well equipped, but it is about the right order, said Sebastian Hansen from the Würzburg-Land district association. It must first be ensured that the funds do not seep away. He therefore supports an application by the Green Youth, which calls for “a reform of the procurement system and a needs-based determination of necessary military expenditure”./hrz/DP/mis