Comment by Dimitra Kyranoudi

Europe and Germany are reminiscent of more and more interwar. The good omen for peace and security are scarce. Time of difficult decisions is approaching.

The debate on the German army’s involvement in a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine has already opened in Germany. The “if” is no longer discussed as “how” and “where”, inside or outside Ukrainian territory. Chancellor Friedrich Mertz gave the tone from Washington: the issue is “open”, he will be discussed in the government coalition and the German Parliament.

It is also necessary to “order” the German Parliament for such a military responsibility from Germany, with all the heavy historical burden it carries and which will carry in the midst: World War II. If the issue actually reaches the German Parliament, it will not be an easy process: there are opinions both within the government parties of the Christian Union and the Social Democrats and the opposition.

A report by the leading German Foundation “Science and Politics” from last January, as the ARD network recalls, estimates that a Ukraine peace mission would require a total of 150,000 troops for “a credible military mission” on a country with a border of 2,000 kilometers.

For Germany, experts say that one option would be to send a 5,000 troops to the model of the corresponding German Brigade to Lithuania in support of the Eastern NATO wing. But there are two thorns: the enormous cost and lack of German soldiers – while Germany is considering the reinstatement of compulsory military service.

Germany has long been trying to become “ready” by considering Russia a “number one” threat to its safety. He also considers a Russian attack on NATO in the coming years, which would activate Article 5 of the NATO Treaty on Collective Defense. The German economy is becoming increasingly ‘warlike’, as do the federal budgets. Government and Civil Protection have developed a plan to create and renovate shelters. Bad omen that thicken, reminiscent of the interwar period.

The new American leadership has long been declared for a long time that Europe must be disengaged by the White House and the Pentagon in the major decisions on its territory. The messages of US Vice -President Jay Di Vance at this year’s Munich Conference may not have been taken seriously, though Friedrich Mertz, then just head of the Christian Democrats, had spoken of a “historic day”.

War clouds are thickened not only in Eastern Europe but also in the Middle East. Europe has been late at all levels, all fronts. She missed the opportunity of the European Constitution, failed to prevent Brexit, successive crises have taken her, her cohesion is increasingly doubted despite attempts to emit the opposite message, as in Washington at the beginning of the week. It should be rapidly reconstituted, make difficult decisions, testing the boundaries of its founding conditions, European law, the real strengths of its Member States.

Can it become another European miracle? Time margins are narrowing, as are the options. The times that are coming are predicted.