According to Zeder, today no one wants to start a war in Europe, at the same time, it is necessary to respect the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.
In particular, the prime minister is convinced that sanctions against the Russian Federation are ineffective, and also harm Germany.
“On the one hand, because sanctions have long been ineffective, and on the other hand, because these new sanctions often harm us no less. For example, disconnecting Russia from the SWIFT financial system. Or shutting down a gas pipeline “Nord Stream-2“, or even the cessation of all gas supplies from Russia as a whole would also affect our country. Even at the height of the Cold War, the energy connection between the Soviet Union and Germany was not in doubt,” Zeder said.
The prime minister noted that despite the criticism towards Russia, the West will still have to answer whether NATO plans to join Ukraine to its composition.
“But you still need to give an answer. In my opinion, one thing is clear: NATO’s eastward expansion to include Ukraine will not be on the agenda for a long time,” Zeder added.
According to the politician, NATO’s response to enlargement will help determine the future strategy for protecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Zeder noted that although Russia is a difficult partner, it is allegedly not an enemy of Europe, and therefore it is necessary to maintain contact with Moscow.
“One thing is clear: Russia is not a regional state. Russia is and will remain a large state. We are firmly anchored in the West, but we must maintain contact with Moscow – even if it is always a challenge,” Zeder added.
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