In the wake of the US government’s recent shift in Ukraine policy, German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius (SPD) has called for more independence. “We must be vigilant to not get divided and at the same time, we urgently need to work on our own strength, sovereignty and independence, without putting our transatlantic alliance in question” he said in a statement in Koblenz on Thursday.
Pistorius still views the US as a trustworthy ally. “I still see that, because I am convinced that alliances must be independent of political convictions and governments. Otherwise, they would not be alliances, but chance communities” the SPD politician said. “And yet, we must remain vigilant about the direction this is taking.”
In the face of recent statements by Donald Trump, in which he falsely claimed the Ukrainian president is a “dictator” and Ukraine started the war, Pistorius said one cannot prevent what the US president says daily. “We must learn to deal with that. It is important to always point out the narratives that are being spread and it helps to always repeat the facts, even if the facts do not interest everyone equally” he added.
The Defence Minister drew a comparison to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who ruled without elections for six years during World War II. “And nobody criticized that, because it is normal that under martial law, no real, fair and reasonable elections can take place” Pistorius said.
The term of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ended formally on May 20, 2024. However, the state of war, triggered by the Russian invasion, prohibits all elections. Russia had annexed the Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula on March 18, 2014, started the war in eastern Ukraine on April 13, 2014 and expanded it to the entire Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
A similar regulation for the postponement of elections in the event of a war is also provided for in the German Basic Law. During a state of defence, the election period ends six months after the end of the state of defence, according to Article 115h.