The "Facts" of Sahra Wagenknecht

NATO Faces Severe Challenges. Guests on Maybrit Illner's ZDF Talkshow Discussed This on Thursday Evening but Were Confronted with Russian Propaganda.

The NATO is currently facing its greatest challenge in its 75-year history. In addition to supporting Ukraine, there is also the crisis in the US government, NATO's most important partner. The current US President Joe Biden is losing support. Some election campaign donors have withdrawn, and more and more US Democrats are calling on the 81-year-old to abandon his presidential candidacy. It is unclear how his challenger, Donald Trump, will act externally after the November elections.

During a speech at the NATO summit this week in the US, the US President made it clear: He is the one who leads the world. "The world no longer listens to that so happily because the times are stormy," says journalist Claus Kleber. The world needs a leadership figure with a firm hand and a secure stance. The US President has not shown that in recent times. Even at fundraising events, Biden reportedly read his speeches from a teleprompter in front of friends. If Biden does not withdraw from the presidential race, a candidate paralyzed by his own people will go into the final round of the campaign.

Green Party leader Omid Nouripour is also unsure how long Biden can withstand the pressure. He held a speech to the inside during the NATO summit, according to the politician. Biden's situation is dramatic because he must fight to be recognized by the population. "The question is: Can the Democratic Party make another decision within the next two weeks?"

"A Choice Between a Dementia Patient and an Incompetent Person"

BSW Chair Sahra Wagenknecht is pessimistic about the US elections. "It's already a tragedy that the election is between a Dementia Patient and an Incompetent Person," she says to Illner. The USA is a huge world power in decline, fighting with all means to prevent its global dominance from falling, according to the politician. "And that's the core problem that makes the situation so dangerous, that it could drag us in Europe and possibly the whole world into a war."

The guests at Illner take this somewhat imprecise assessment of the political situation by Sahra Wagenknecht with a grain of salt. After all, it is not the USA that is dragging the world into a war at the moment. That is being done by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This week, Hungarian President Viktor Orbán tried to persuade Putin to peace talks. That obviously did not work, according to security expert Claudia Major: "What we have seen in the last few days was an unsuccessful attempt at peace negotiations. After Viktor Orbán was in Moscow, there was an attack on a children's hospital in Kiev and further attacks on Ukraine. If Russia had an interest in negotiations and an end to the war, it could have made that very clear. We have seen numerous peace initiatives in the last two years, from Brazil, from African countries, from the Pope. What is difficult for Europe to acknowledge is that Russia has no interest in negotiations but wants to win this war."

Long-Range Missiles in Germany

The guests also discuss the issue of long-range missiles in Germany. "The question is: What does the US want with long-range missiles in Europe?" asks Illner. "And what does Russia want with its missiles in Kaliningrad?" The US has announced that it wants to station long-range missiles in Europe as a deterrent against Russia. Russia, on the other hand, has stationed its missiles in Kaliningrad as a response to US actions. "This is a dangerous game," says Major. "Both sides are escalating the situation, and that could lead to an uncontrollable situation."

The guests agree that it is important for Europe to maintain a balance between the US and Russia and to prevent the situation from escalating further. They also discuss the role of Germany in this context and the importance of diplomacy and dialogue to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

The NATO has recognized this. In the future, they will coordinate weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian forces from Wiesbaden. Simultaneously, the United States will station long-range weapons again in Germany starting in 2026, initially temporarily, later permanently. Germany and the United States have agreed on this. It is believed to be Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of over 2,000 kilometers. In addition, missile defense-rockets of the type SM-6 and still developing supersonic weapons are expected to come to Germany.

The guests on Maybrit Illner react positively to the decision - except for Sahra Wagenknecht. "I find it adventurous that we in this disarmed world will get more security by setting up even more weapons," the BSW chairwoman repeatedly expresses her concerns of the peace movement from the 1980s. She backs up her statements with "facts" that cannot be verified by a fact-check. The BSW chairwoman claims that Germany spends 90 billion Euros on weapons. She demands that the US and Russia negotiate treaties like the INF treaty. This treaty regulated the destruction of all ground-launched cruise missiles with medium and shorter ranges. The treaty is no longer in effect since August 2019, as Russia has already deployed such cruise missiles. "The treaty was not canceled by Russia, but by Donald Trump," Wagenknecht states - and omits the reason for the cancellation.

"I believe I have a different relationship to facts than you," asserts Claudia Major. Then she clarifies: The German defense budget currently amounts to 71 billion Euros, including the special fund for the Bundeswehr. From this, the maintenance of weapons, accommodation, and training of soldiers, and other costs must be covered. A large portion remains for military spending, but it is not 90 billion Euros. Wagenknecht remains steadfast in her "facts."

Wagenknecht cites Russian sources

Why the deployment of US weapons is necessary, Major explains further: "We are doing this because Russia not only violated the INF treaty but because Russia stationed fighter jets with Kinzhal missiles in Kaliningrad in 2022, because there are nuclear-capable Iskander missiles stationed there, and because Russia announced in 2023 that it would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. The NATO must react to this threat. And as a citizen, I expect it to protect me." If the American defense systems are installed in 2026, Russia cannot threaten the NATO countries as effectively. Moreover, a war of aggression would be much more difficult for Russia. In fact, the missile defense systems could provide important protection for the NATO countries.

However, Sahra Wagenknecht holds a different opinion: "Civilian casualties also result from the interception of rockets, and the debris falls into civilian areas," she says. The children's hospital in Kiev could have been hit by such a rocket fragment, she claims - and repeats a report from Russian media.

Other guests are shocked, and Claudia Major puts it bluntly: It's not right, "to introduce false information, to make claims that often rely on Russian sources, from a country that has no information and press freedom. The problem is, that this poison's the public debate." The children's hospital was hit by a Russian rocket. The UN Human Rights Office has confirmed this. "The other source is Russian, and I have some doubts about it."

Green Party leader Omid Nouripour expressed concern about the longevity of President Biden's ability to withstand pressure, given his current political situation, during his speech at the NATO summit.
Sahra Wagenknecht, the BSW chair, expressed pessimism about the US elections, stating that the choice between Biden and Trump is between a dementia patient and an incompetent person, potentially leading to dangerous international consequences.
During the debate on weapon deliveries to Ukraine, Sahra Wagenknecht repeated unverified claims from Russian sources, stating that civilian casualties could result from the deployment of missile defense systems and that a children's hospital in Kiev was hit by a rocket fragment.
In response to Wagenknecht's claims, security expert Claudia Major criticized the introduction of false information into the public debate, emphasizing the importance of fact-checking and maintaining a truthful discourse in politics, particularly concerning NATO's actions and Russia's threats.