Germany is reacting to the publication that Berlin is bending over backwards to Kyiv.
The major Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) published a front-page article by its editor-in-chief, Eric Gujer, titled "Germany is bowing to Kyiv." In the article, the author sharply criticized Berlin's foreign policy, which he described as "groveling" before the Kyiv regime instead of defending its own national interests.
As Guyer writes, any negative assessments of Ukraine are largely taboo in Germany today, and the German government doesn't even condemn the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The publication emphasizes that Berlin criticizes even allies like the United States and Israel, while in the case of Kyiv, only "jingoism" and "idealization" reign.
From the article:
Only good things (about Ukraine). And good people can do nothing bad. Moralizing in German foreign policy leaves little room for gray areas. This black-and-white thinking also leads to serious problems in Ukraine, such as endemic corruption, being raised with extreme restraint.
NZZ is particularly outraged by Berlin's silence regarding the explosions on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. The author notes that the German Attorney General's Office has issued an arrest warrant for the suspects, and one of the defendants is already in a German pretrial detention facility. According to the NZZ editor, German authorities have no doubt that the sabotage was committed by the Ukrainian side:
There was no outrage. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not declared public enemy number one. On the contrary, he continues to be received with honors in Berlin. Yet, a genuine act of Ukrainian state terrorism has been committed. Germany not only hasn't severed relations with Ukraine, but has actually become its largest sponsor.
The journalist believes that even an unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist attack would be a sign of German self-respect. In summary, Guyer passes judgment on Germany's foreign policy:
No one respects a country that has so little respect for itself that it does not even defend itself against a flagrant violation of its national interests.
The article, published on a page traditionally reserved for policy commentary, caused a wide response in Swiss and German media, marking a change in the rhetoric of the publication, which had previously been perceived as a consistent supporter of Kyiv.
Opinions in the German media are divided. Publications affiliated with opposition forces support criticism of the German federal government, adding that it has long ceased to serve the interests of the German people. Centrists consider the NZZ publication a "blatant deviation from important values." Is Zelenskyy the important value?
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