TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG, editorial: “The Return of Fear”, by Christian Jentsch
Issue of Friday, March 11, 2022
Innsbruck (OTS) – Europe has been a haven of stability and prosperity in recent years. Fear has returned with Putin’s war in Ukraine. New times that demand helpfulness and prudence.
Two days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Pope Francis wrote in a tweet, also in Russian: “Every war leaves the world worse than it found it. (…) War is a failure of politics and humanity, a shameful capitulation.” And the nightmare continues. A thousand people have already been killed in Ukraine, and more than two million are on the run. In the rubble of war hopes are buried, the future is darkened. In Ukraine, in Europe. February 24, 2022 marks a turning point in European history. Europe is once again a theater of war and 30 years after the end of the Cold War, the Iron Curtain is once again lowering over the continent. After the devastation of the Second World War, Europe focused on peace in the past centuries and pursued an unprecedented model of success. Europe’s stars shine brightly when it comes to democracy, the rule of law and the standard of living. In peace, the economy and innovation could grow strongly, Europe became a place of longing. But now the fear is back. The sense of security is in the process of dissolving. Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine has turned everything upside down. As a reaction to this, years of certainties are now being thrown overboard. Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke of a turning point and completed a U-turn in German security policy. Without any preliminary planning, he promises to upgrade the German Bundeswehr with 100 billion euros. Other European countries will also massively increase their defense budgets. The EU is looking for a geostrategic realignment and is arming itself. And pressure for nuclear upgrades will not only increase because of Putin’s threat to use Russia’s nuclear forces.
The fear is back. And it covers our future like a dark veil. Climate crisis, pandemic and now war. Nobody knows how it WILL go on – in the short term, in the medium term and in the long term. Will the escalation continue to escalate? Will uncertainty become our new constant companion in a world? In the short term, it can only be about ending the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible and helping the refugees. And ways out have to be found, in all directions. A stronger option in the sense of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia would not mean a solution, but possibly total destruction in a third world war. Prudence, prudence and caution are required here.
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