German CDU politician Johann Wadephul has dismissed Moscow's accusations that Germany seeks revenge for past defeats as a distraction. He made the statement during a meeting with New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters in New Zealand. Russia sharply criticizes German support for Ukraine and threatens consequences for potential troop deployments.
During a meeting with his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters in the Bay of Islands near Kerikeri on New Zealand's North Island, Johann Wadephul, a CDU politician and foreign policy expert, firmly rejected Russian accusations of revanchism. "This is a cheap distraction attempt by Russia," Wadephul said in the context of Germany's support for Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia.
Wadephul emphasized that Germany has no issues critically examining its own past. "We know that we were also liberated from Nazi rule by victims of the former Soviet Union – including victims from Ukraine, but also from other peoples of the Soviet Union," he explained. "That is a historical truth that remains and that no one in Germany disputes." Nevertheless, Germany will not allow itself to be silenced in condemning Russia's current actions: "But we will not allow ourselves or others to be muzzled when it comes to clearly condemning the criminal actions of today's Russia."
Peters agreed, stating that they concur that upholding territorial integrity is a fundamental principle of the international system.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, in a written statement following Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's annual press conference, accused the German government of being driven by an "obsession" to take revenge for past defeats. This revanchism includes unrestricted support for Ukraine, where 80 years after World War II, German weapons are once again being used against Russian territory. The Bundeswehr is already stationed in Lithuania; a deployment in Ukraine would make soldiers legitimate targets.
Regarding a potential Bundeswehr deployment after the war's end, Wadephul said it is up to Russia to create the basis for peace. He praised New Zealand for its support of Ukraine, including financial and military aid as well as training for Ukrainian soldiers: "New Zealand is at Europe's side. We greatly appreciate that." Germany is working constructively to end the war but observes only destructive behavior on the Russian side.
