Heidelberg (dpa / lsw) – The former constitutional judge Paul Kirchhof promotes a differentiated view of the people in Russia. “The Russian people are European neighbors. These people are in as much need as we would be if we were a party to the war,” Kirchhof told the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung (Monday). “We mustn’t take away their hope for the time after the war.”
The war broke the law, especially the law of the United Nations, the European Convention on Human Rights and bilateral peace promises, said the former constitutional law professor at the University of Heidelberg in an interview on the occasion of his 80th birthday this Tuesday. “As a reaction, we must first differentiate between the actors who are waging the war and the Russian people. In doing so, we are preparing a peace policy that not only organizes the reconstruction of Ukraine, but also the renewal of Russia,” said Kirchhof.
“In a second step, as a contribution to peace, we must help Ukraine to become able to defend itself,” he explained. “It’s difficult for Germany because Germany itself is not fit for military service.”