Ukraine conflict could have been avoided – German opposition party leader

Sahra Wagenknecht has said hostilities wouldn’t have erupted had Washington not attempted to drag Kiev into its “zone of influence”

The Ukraine conflict was avoidable and began largely because of the US’ failure to take into consideration Russia’s “red lines,” veteran German politician Sahra Wagenknecht has argued. The MP, who established her own party earlier this year – the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), also called for more diplomatic efforts on the part of Berlin to put an end to the bloodshed, as opposed to further escalation.

A former member of the Left Party, Wagenknecht has long criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government over its stance on the conflict, particularly the delivery of weapons to Kiev.

In an interview to ZDF broadcaster on Wednesday, Wagenknecht said that the escalation of the Ukraine conflict had been “wholly predictable” in many ways. The lawmaker noted that she had warned even before the hostilities broke out that “if the United States continues to work on including Ukraine in its military sphere of influence, stationing Western military outposts, military facilities [and] CIA bases in Ukraine – which did take place – the risk of war will rise.”

“This war could surely have been prevented if care had been taken not to cross the Russians’ red lines,” Wagenknecht claimed. According to the opposition politician, while Moscow’s concerns may not necessarily be legitimate, heeding them “would have been better [and] would have averted a lot of suffering.”

The German MP told reporters that a new arms race should be prevented, calling for more arms controls and disarmament instead.

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Wagenknecht clarified that she denounces this war and considers Russian President Vladimir Putin “a criminal.” Nevertheless, the West should engage with Moscow diplomatically, she insisted. The veteran politician stated that Germany “needs to become a voice of mediation again, a voice of diplomacy in this world, that really does its utmost to end military conflicts on the diplomatic track.”

Back in October, the German opposition figure spoke similarly in favor of “more diplomatic efforts,” commending a peace plan proposed by China and Brazil in May. Wagenknecht argued at the time that Germany should exert pressure on Ukraine so that it agreed to compromise and engage in peace talks with Russia. Beijing could do the same with Moscow, she mused at the time.

Wagenknecht also warned that current Western escalatory policies were “insanely dangerous” and could end up in a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, and possibly in nuclear war.