German Bundestag President Julia Klöckner Responds to Russian Duma President’s Threats of Escalation
In a strongly worded statement, German Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) has rejected the warning of the Russian Duma President, Vyacheslav Volodin, of a deterioration in relations between the two countries. Volodin had threatened the German parliament with a worsening of the situation, citing Germany’s support for Ukraine.
Klöckner, in a clear and direct response, stated that “who instrumentalizes the history of World War II to justify an aggressive war against its neighbor, mocks the memory of the actual victims and perverts the concept of liberation.” She emphasized that there is no fascist regime in Kiev and that the Russian Duma would do well to demand an end to the war, allowing the Ukrainian people to live in sovereignty, territorial integrity, peace and freedom.
The German Bundestag President also categorically rejected any attempts to reverse the roles of perpetrator and victim, saying that the German parliament knows that it was the combined forces of the United States, France, the Commonwealth states and the Soviet army, including many Ukrainian soldiers, that liberated Germany from Nazi tyranny. Therefore, she strongly opposes any attempts to distort the history to legitimize present-day violence.
The Russian Duma President, Volodin, had previously warned of a potential escalation of the situation between the two countries, accusing the German government of creating the conditions for a deterioration of the situation and provoking clashes between the nations. The statement was in response to the German Chancellor’s remarks on the role of the United States in the defeat of Nazi Germany, which were made during a meeting with the US President in Washington.