Armin-Paulus
Hampel
New
Russian Policy
German
Bundestag, January 31, 2019, Plenarprotokoll 19/77, pp. 8945-8946
[Armin-Paulus Hampel is an Alternative
für Deutschland Bundestag member from the western German state of Lower Saxony
and was a television journalist. Alexander Lambsdorff is Bundestag foreign
policy spokesman for the Free Democrats Party (FDP). “Junge Freheit” is a
German newspaper generally considered to be on the political right.]
Herr
President. Right honorable ladies and gentlemen. Dear guests of the German
Bundestag.
One
ought to look back to the 1930s when, for the first time, the League of Nations
imposed sanctions against Italy so as to torpedo and condemn its Abyssinien
policy. Even then the sanctions imposed against Italy failed completely. Till
this day, nothing therein has changed.
I
well remember the successful slogan of the Social Democrats (there was then no
AfD) which we in the 70s, thanks to Willi Brandt and Egon Bahr, had so correctly formulated (none
of you had called for change through sanctions, which is also correct): Change
through conciliation – that can one only underline – is the correct political
path. Sanctions are not only scarcely required, they hinder the conciliation.
Daniela de Ridder (SPD): Don’t you
mis-use us!
The
Federal Republic of Germany alone has through the sanctions policy lost between
50 and 120 billion euros in turnover. That is not counting the collateral
damage and side-effects. Businesses do not want to take on anymore risk and so
forsake business with Russia. The lack of trust effects both sides. Business
planning is put at risk and, due to the dual-use ambiguity, ever more business
runs into risk or is not pursued. Once again: the German economy – and
agriculture besides – has taken a 90 billion euro cut.
The
USA, let it be said by the way, ladies and gentlemen, has gained. The trade
with Russia is large. Washington has allowed so many exemptions that U.S. trade
with Russia has increased. The business with Russia we do not, others do. So it
is in normal life and in business life. That means that India, Israel, China,
Switzerland and Turkey, they all are taking up the business which we no longer
do with Russia. And it is then also completely normal that there is an
accustomization effect: as soon as the first Chinese product has been
purchased, will the subsequent business be re-directed again to the Chinese
partner. And should there be no more sanctions, then one remains with the
Chinese supplier and the German economy is left out. That is the effect on the
German economy. The sanctions policy hinders our prosperity and it hinders our
balance and our understanding with Russia. Let us end the sanctions policy
immediately. That is best way to arrive again at talks, and before all
business, with Russia.
It
is especially problematic that with the sanctions policy other important areas
are concerned, since, when we are no longer communicating, when there is only
superficial talks with Herr Lavrov and Herr Putin, then we have also in other
important areas of politics no more understanding. Take the Near East, where we
no longer play a role. Take Russia’s Africa policy, which we in no way can
accompany nor can we be active as consultants. And take especially Venezuela, a
theme of immediate moment, concerning which we of the AfD were reprimanded by
Union circles yesterday. It is absurd, ladies and gentlemen. The players in
Venezuela, besides the United States, are Russia and China. Thus plainly must
one also so speak with these countries, whether one wants to or not. In this
case, it would also be very important, for example, to speak to Russia and to
develop a common line in the Venezuela policy; since, what perhaps some of you
still do not know, a German journalist sits for ten weeks in secret confinement
in Caracas and no German policy troubles itself about him and attempts to
obtain his release. For that, Russian assistance would perhaps succeed. The man
is called Billy Six, make a note of it. He writes for Junge Freiheit – I know, you’re shaking your heads. We must
negotiate exactly as we had negotiated in connection with the journalist in
Turkey.
Ladies
and gentlemen, we are agreed: Realpolitik
in the German interest is the decisive credo of our time. We require of the
federal government: let us immediately end the sanctions policy against Russia.
It brings us only disadvantages, it splits Europe. Only in common with Russia
can be constructed a peaceful Europe.
Alexander Lambsdorff (FDP): The
whole EU stands behind that!
We
stand for that and for that should this German Bundestag in common stand. Thank
you, ladies and gentlemen.
