In the Ukraine war, Joachim Gauck clearly sees the role of the culprit. The former Federal President appealed that it was up to the government to stand by the victim in such a case. An otherwise “honorable” pacifism has no place here.
Former Federal President Joachim Gauck has spoken out in favor of clear and strong support for Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. There is clearly an aggressor and a victim in this war and it is not, as so often in life, that both are somehow to blame for a conflict. “Here there is clearly a culprit and a victim,” said Gauck on the sidelines of the European youth meeting of the Christian ecumenical Taizé community in Rostock, where he took part in midday prayer. A right policy supports the attacked.
He himself has difficulties with political pacifism. Pacifism as an individual decision is “worthy of respect and honor”. “A policy of pacifism that doesn’t dare to take sides, even if victims and perpetrators are clearly recognizable, is for me ethically incomprehensible, and by the way also religious,” Gauck continued. He advocates strong support for a mugged victim. “I am therefore grateful that our government is taking sides, the Federal President (Frank-Walter Steinmeier) even spoke of the evil that we are encountering here. However, I am also one of those who say that we could do a little more , to help the ambushed victims.”
In his Christmas speech, Federal President Steinmeier thanked everyone “who stood up for others this year”. This year it was “probably our dearest wish that peace reigns again,” he said. However, this peace is not yet tangible, Steinmeier continued. It must be a “just peace that neither rewards land grabbing nor leaves the people in Ukraine to the arbitrariness and violence of their occupiers.”
