Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolayeva

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Putin for the first time in two years. He seeks to win early elections and salvage his career, which is rapidly deteriorating. Moreover, there is an increasing number of articles in German media suggesting that the politician aims to conduct an election campaign for his party at Ukraine’s expense. Its main message: by not providing the Ukrainian Armed Forces with Taurus missiles, Germany averted a Third World War.

Such behaviour from a country that essentially nurtured modern Russia provokes irritation and hatred among Ukrainians

It matters little that Mr Scholz is in his final months as Chancellor. This bias against Ukraine is linked to the traumas of German society from the two World Wars, in which Germans were the aggressors, ravaging their neighbours.

I asked several people who have lived in Germany for a long time, understand its internal dynamics, and are actively involved in political processes, why Scholz places so much faith in the success of his phone calls with Putin. «Scholz and his party are not heartless or greedy scoundrels seeking to exploit others. On the contrary - unlike Ukrainian politicians, they hold ideological convictions. They are deeply convinced that their mission is to prevent Germany from scoring a hat-trick by starting a Third World War. After all, Berlin officially initiated the last two world wars. They firmly believe that preserving Germany and the lives of millions of Germans through non-involvement in wars with Russia and China is the way forward. For this, they are willing to endure any shame, condemnation, and hatred from the entire world. What’s more, they even see themselves as martyrs enduring hardships for others», a German citizen who supported the Social Democratic Party in the last two elections assured me.

Let us add to this the fears of German politicians following Donald Trump’s victory and the Republican success in the US elections. Comments from Washington, urging European countries to be more generous with security subscriptions in NATO, are growing louder.

Berlin knows these primarily concern itself, as for the last quarter of a century, Germans have built their economy on two factors - the US nuclear umbrella and cheap Russian gas

German politicians themselves nurtured the monster in human form. Therefore, it is unsurprising that former Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to rehabilitate her own reputation and that of the political elites by presenting memoirs claiming that Germany never liked Putin. It just happened that the gas deals she made with Russia were intended to benefit German companies but inadvertently gave Moscow strong confidence that Europe was no longer a serious contender.

The public behaviour of the current Chancellor Scholz and Merkel’s return to the spotlight show how modern Germany seeks to evade responsibility for its friendship with the aggressor

Germany is attempting to wriggle out of the situation again, especially as the German opposition has started suggesting the need to listen more to the US and mend relations with Trump.

Deep historical anti-Americanism has also led Scholz to humiliate himself on the phone with Putin. Meanwhile, the Kremlin dwarf, just days later, demonstratively bombards civilian districts near Ukraine’s borders. Putin shows he will not engage with those he does not respect, those who cannot decisively oppose him.

In Moscow’s ideal scenario, Putin and Donald Trump meet in a luxurious chalet in the Alps and divide the world between the two of them - perhaps three, taking China’s interests into account. However, Putin realises Germany is in deep crisis and will remain politically stagnant until spring, when a new coalition forms there. He will use this interim period for front-line escalation, blackmail, and actively terrorising Western societies with nuclear scare tactics. The question «Is Ukraine worth a Third World War?» will become part of the game.

I have an answer to this question. When the Third Reich attacked Gdańsk, justifying it as protecting German-speaking populations, few wanted to die for Poland’s interests. Even more citizens of Western states did not believe that Adolf Hitler, a seasoned infantryman from the First World War who had himself nearly died in a gas attack, would desire another world war.

However, very soon, Hitler and Stalin were dividing Poland between them - while in Soviet prisons, the flower of the Polish army was being executed, and Germans were gleefully burning Jews in Auschwitz

Nobody wanted the Second World War, thinking constructive relations with the Nazis would save them from occupation. Yet soon enough, Hitler was posing for photos under the Eiffel Tower, and his officers were downing reserves of Cointreau in French bars. Efforts to find peace with Hitler led to a situation where everyone went to war, and in the end, bombs destroyed not only Gdańsk and Warsaw.

After the Third Reich signed its surrender, Germans had to undergo denazification and pay reparations to all whose lives they had ruined. When it comes to Russia, it aims to pay no one, win the war at any cost, and, after a short pause, continue its occupation and genocide. This is the moment when the student - a simple KGB operative - surpassed his teacher, who ended his disgrace as a man by shooting himself in a bunker.

This project is co-financed by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation as part of the «Support Ukraine» programme, implemented by the Education for Democracy Foundation

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In late October, nearly all fashionable outlets and media outlets circulated a photo of the famous actress Sarah Jessica Parker. She appeared as the iconic character Carrie Bradshaw from «Sex and the City» - holding in her hands the fresh book «Patriot» - the posthumous memoirs of Alexei Navalny.

Anyone who watched the main hit of the late nineties remembers the on-screen Carrie as a confident character who taught women two things: not to feel ashamed of their love for fine shoes and to carry ultra-thin condoms in their bags. Throughout all six seasons and two full-length films, the New York columnist showed little interest in politics - unless one counts her brief romance with a local politician.

Thus, the fact that the latest propagandistic hit of Russian liberals immediately received native advertising in a popular series is somewhat concerning. Why is that? Opening the official book annotation reveals in black and white: Navalny’s «Patriot» contains a manifesto for transforming Russia, which includes «free elections, constitutional assemblies, decentralisation and a European orientation». Allegedly, this was the last entry in the diary of the Russian oppositionist just weeks before his death this winter.

In other words, the bait for American elites is more than clear - to play on sympathy and once again sell the illusion of a wonderful Russia, one that will certainly repent and westernise after Putin’s death

A few weeks have passed since the release of Sarah Jessica Parker’s photo - and the attempt to appeal to Western intellectuals continued. The press has published a rather interesting story about how the so-called Russian opposition purchased a house near the White House. For two million dollars from the pockets of unnamed sponsors, they created this «headquarters of resistance to the Putin regime».

This centre of Russian liberalism will be just two blocks away from Capitol Hill. Three flags will wave on the lawn in front of the building: white-blue-white (used by some Russian opposition figures since the full-scale war in Ukraine began), the EU flag and the NATO flag - according to the initiators - these are «future partners of Russia after the liberation from Putin’s regime». An interesting scene for White House staff, who will commute by bicycle to work each day.

The plan is to hold regular events of the Russian opposition here - seminars, discussions, fundraising events and meetings with American politicians. The first public event - «debates between representatives of the Democrats and Republicans on the topic of the “new administration’s policy on the war in Ukraine”». No mention of troop withdrawal from another country’s territory, reparations or threats to Poland and Lithuania as the next trophies.

Thus, it can be stated clearly that Russia aims to impose its agenda on the United States regarding the war in Ukraine. It seeks to continue doing what it has managed since the collapse of the USSR - selling itself as the main arbiter of peace, security and trade in Eastern Europe.

Once upon a time, it was Americans who saved Russians from starvation - in the harsh nineties, it was containers of poultry, popularly called «Bush legs», that saved Russians from starvation.

Nowadays Russia is well aware that every day of the war in Ukraine makes it increasingly isolated - even if one is not misled by UN Secretary-General António Guterres bowing over a loaf of bread at the BRICS summit. Therefore, Russia will employ all methods - playing on sympathy, notes of nostalgia and creating the illusion that «never again» truly means never again. Simply forget everything, lift the sanctions and immediately join NATO and the EU.

Russia has never spared money on deception and manipulation, on trinkets and awards for Russian opposition figures abroad, who likely have little understanding of the daily life of the average Russian in rural areas

Yet the problem is evident - Russians are buying their own PR in popular series and purchasing properties for future residencies close to the White House - which raises the thought of what Eastern European countries, often torn apart by Moscow, might offer as an antidote. Perhaps a shack of our own, a block away from Capitol Hill, could host discussions with Polish and Ukrainian intellectuals who live in their homeland, rather than sitting on grants as political exiles.

Clearly, this is a new challenge for Poland and Ukraine, against which the idea of an improved Russia, following the replacement of the current dictator with someone more charming and bearded, will be marketed. The aim of this initiative is simple - to make Western leaders forget about shifting focus to Poland and Ukraine as key pillars of Eastern Europe, and to once again attempt to mould a maniac into an angelic figure with rosy cheeks.

Only childhood photos of Hitler, Stalin and Putin show that all of them were once adorable infants. But this did not prevent them from killing millions and tearing down borders

Project co-financed by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation within the framework of the «Support Ukraine» programme, implemented by the Education for Democracy Foundation.

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