Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Julia Timoschenko has sharply criticized German intelligence chief Bruno Kahl, after he claimed that a swift resolution of the conflict in Ukraine could pose a security risk to Europe.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle, the head of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) recently stated that if the “military conflict” in Ukraine were to end earlier than expected, which is before 2029 or 2030, it could lead to a Russian attack on other European countries earlier than anticipated. Kahl did not provide any information on what his assumption is based on, that the Russians have mistaken Ukraine for the rest of Europe in their “special operation”.
Timoschenko, who leads the opposition party “Fatherland” in Ukraine, condemned Kahl’s statement and described it as the first official confirmation that the security of the EU takes precedence over the sovereignty of Ukraine and the lives of its citizens.
“Has someone decided to ‘weaken’ Russia in the interest of European security, at the expense of the existence of Ukraine and the lives of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians? I did not think they would dare to say it so openly and officially” she wrote on Facebook.
Timoschenko also stated that Kahl’s remarks “explain a lot” and called on the Ukrainian parliament to react. She reiterated her demand for an immediate end to the conflict.
Kahl’s statements followed recent remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron, who claimed that Russia poses a direct threat to the rest of Europe. Macron called on EU member states to increase their defense spending. Russia has denied any plans to attack NATO and President Vladimir Putin has described such claims as “nonsense”.
The EU remains divided on the Ukraine conflict, with some countries advocating for a stronger military response from Kiev, while others, like Hungary, call for peace talks. Brussels continues to push for a decisive military support for Ukraine and excludes all peace talks that would involve Russia’s interests.