Part of the upcoming “World War III” documentary
One of the most important dynamics of the war in Ukraine is the growing divide between the political aims of the powers that be and the will of the people who are not directly participating in said war, but are still being forced to pay for it. It is becoming increasingly obvious, and increasingly problematic for those in charge, that the narrative that has been force fed to Europeans to justify the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Europe’s role in it is not as effective as it once was.
This one of the less-talked-about issues that Erich Vad shines a bright light on in the interview that follows. Vad, a retired Brigadier General of the German Armed Forces, who also served as the military-political advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2006 to 2013, provides a critical perspective on the ongoing war and the broader security architecture of Europe. As he highlights: “We have left-oriented and “Green” politicians in Europe that never had any experience in war and never served in the armed forces. they never had a helmet on their head. They are like kids and they don’t know what war really means. I think they need the experience of war. We should have sent them to Ukraine.”
In fact, it’s not just their lack of military experience that renders them incapable of leading their nations. Many, if not most, European countries are being led by weak and unpopular governments that seem unable to address the most pressing issues plaguing their own citizens. People in the UK, France, Germany and elsewhere don’t want war with Russia. They want their economy fixed, their illegal immigration problem solved and the rest of their domestic socioeconomic issues competently handled. It is clear that keeping the Ukraine conflict going and pointing the finger at the “bad Russians” might have served as a distraction for the first couple of years, but it is not going to work forever.
General Vad also brings up another interesting point that is often overlooked in the debates about the war. The deterioration of Russo-European relations over the last decades and the part that the US played in it. Vad argues that while the NATO alliance is essential, Europe (and Germany in particular) needs to develop its own strategic autonomy. He points out that European interests (including stability on the continent, energy security, and long-term peace) are not always identical to US geopolitical interests, and that Europe should play a more active role as a mediating power. He laments: “The decisions about war or peace are made in Washington and Moscow, not in Brussels or Berlin or London or Paris… Europeans are completely out of the game.”
Watch the full interview with General Erich Vad here and help us spread the crucial message behind the “World War III” documentary. Share the film with anyone you know is concerned about the path we’re currently on, but especially with those who aren’t.
Claudio Grass, Hünenberg See, Switzerland. www.claudiograss.ch
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