Sahra Wagenknecht, founder of the BSW party, expressed her support for former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s call for increased diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Speaking to the news outlet “Welt” on Tuesday, the former BSW chairwoman stated that she naturally agrees with Merkel on this issue, adding that she has been advocating for such a step for a long time.
Wagenknecht sharply critiqued the current political climate, questioning if such a reminder was necessary for the “sad coalition” or the current cabinet. She highlighted that it was unwise for Germany and Europe to remain isolated, especially when considering the prospect of dealing with a US president who is perceived as unpredictably or irresponsibly inclined.
Regarding diplomacy, she found the idea put forward by former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) to act as a mediator to be worth serious consideration. “I did not find it a bad idea at all. Schröder at least has access to Putin, and there is a certain basis of trust there” she noted. According to Wagenknecht, the primary goal should be simply restarting dialogue. While acknowledging that the national government holds the necessary authority to negotiate in the end, she believes establishing initial talks would be a viable path. She criticized the lack of alternative proposals, suggesting that instead of making a concrete plan, the existing options were simply dismissed.
Wagenknecht strongly accused the government of misuse of funds, alleging that the focus is on “milking the German taxpayer and transferring billions and trillions to Ukraine…. to keep this war going, to finance Zelensky and his circle” calling this approach fundamentally unworkable.
She also refuted the notion that Russia’s presentation of maximalist demands is an ironclad condition for any talks. She clarified that engagement does not equate to immediately accepting the other side’s demands and drafting a treaty based on them. In her view, dialogue is necessary to explore what is possible. Without direct communication channels, she argued, the solution remains out of reach, which means the war must continue indefinitely, resulting in the daily deaths of hundreds of young men on the front lines.